Data Tales
by Gwynhafra86
Summary: Inui was once inseparable from Yanagi, before the latter ran off. Years later, a parting gift affected their lives in a way which neither of them had calculated. How will the two be able to deal with this? Data Pair InuiXYanagi , MPreg
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic. Mentions of MPREG (Male Pregnancy)**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

A/N: Posting this story as an apology for not being able to complete Trials of Life within the three week time limit. I was delayed by my thesis and a recent virus attack which made me unable to access the files in my pendrive.

Please be warned that this story will contain male pregnancy in the future. Do not read on if this element is not a genre you like.

Trying out the Data Pair for once. It's one of my latest OTP, aside from TezuRyo and SanaYuki. (Grins)

Well then, to the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 1

_"Renji. Let's always be doubles partners. Forever."_

"…I'm sorry…Sadaharu…"

Inui Sadaharu gasped as he opened his eyes, waking abruptly from a dream. In his half awake state, he could still hear the lingering words of his dream companion, could still see the small back running from him, picking up speed to the point that all he could do was stare, unable to catch up.

Inui sat up on his bed, putting on his glasses before staring at his clock. 2.30 a.m. Such an ungodly hour. Giving a groan, he fell back against his pillow, not bothering to remove his glasses beforehand. He lay there, staring up at the ceiling, even as the hands of the clock continued to tick near his ear. He must have remained that way for ages, unable to go back to sleep. Resigning to himself that sleep was a lost cause, Inui slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, splashing some water on his face. He could always update the data in his computer, and go back to bed when he felt tired. Besides, even if he slept late, he should have at least 76 percent of his energy reserves left for tomorrow, which should be fine even for tennis practice.

Heading over to the computer, Inui pressed the button and waited as the device hummed to life. Once the operating system has been booted up, Inui opened his previously saved file and starting typing in all the new data, referring to his green notebook only when he couldn't remember the exact angles. Somehow, even as his fingers typed, his mind continued to wander off on its own, heading back to the dream he had earlier on. No, not a dream, a suppressed memory.

XXX

_"Minna, from today onwards, Inui-kun here will be part of our tennis club. Inui, please introduce yourself."_

Inui stepped forward, feeling a little awkward as he felt all the club members' eyes trained on him. He gave a small bow and started his introduction. "I'm Inui Sadaharu, and I've just transferred here from Satei Elementary School. I do not have any siblings, and I live with my parents and…"

Even as Inui spoke, he could see a few of the existing members whispering amongst themselves.

"Look at those spectacles! How geeky!"

"What an odd hairstyle."

"He's so fair…and so skinny. Is he a girl?"

Inui kept his face impassive, already used to such attention to himself. He wasn't the most sociable person on earth, preferring to keep to himself, and he had trouble fitting in whenever he changed schools. His parents moved quite often thanks to their work, and he had to change schools at least three times during his elementary school years, with this being the third.

He swept his gaze over the club members. Well, he didn't really need to foster bonds. He was pretty sure he was going to move again anyway. Just bear with it, cooperate with them for a while until his parents transferred him to yet another school. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, this was just tennis.

His eyes came to rest on one brunette, whose head was bowed. The brunette seemed to be the only one not whispering, and was instead scribbling madly in a little notebook. A vein popped in Inui's head. H-how rude!

"Hai, hai. That should be all, Inui-kun. Get in line with your fellow teammates now." The coach instructed. Inui walked down the line of club members, none of them making way for him. He finally came to the boy with the notebook. The boy glanced up at him briefly, and it was only then Inui noticed that his eyes were closed. Wordlessly, the boy stepped back a little, making room for him. Inui gave an equally wordless nod of thanks before getting in line.

XXX

If anything, the days passed by without incident. Learning from experience, Inui maintained his distance from the others, going by the 'you stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours' unwritten rule. Each day, he told himself the same thing. Just bear with it. He put more effort into tennis, feeling that the sport was the only thing freeing him from the otherwise suffocating atmosphere.

It was Inui's turn to put the tennis equipment back in the clubroom…well…actually, it wasn't his turn. Some of the seniors had bullied him into doing the task for them. Inui decided that it wasn't worth arguing with them, and obliged without complaint. He would be transferring to another school anyway, so what was all these to him?

As he made his way to the clubhouse, he turned a corner and bumped right into someone, causing the box of tennis balls to fall out of his hands, and the little green balls went rolling in all directions.

"Itai…that wasn't within my calculations…" he heard someone mutter before him.

He looked up and realized that it was no other than the brunette with the closed eyes.

"Ah, gomen. I didn't see where I was looking." Inui helped the other boy up. The boy continued rubbing his bottom though, seemingly having landed quite heavily on his butt.

Having given his apology, Inui then stooped down to pick up all the tennis balls. He would be quite severely scolded by his captain if he didn't put them in the clubroom early.

Someone bent down and joined him at the task. Inui looked up in surprise. His brunette companion said nothing as he placed the balls back in the box.

"Why are you doing this task anyway? Shouldn't it be Satou-senpai's turn today?" The brunette asked quietly.

Inui gave a weak laugh. "Well, I…"

"Volunteered, was what you were trying to say right?" The brunette asked quietly, turning to look at Inui. Seeing Inui's jaw drop, he gave a soft chuckle. "It would seem I'm right." He went back to picking up the tennis balls.

After a while, he straightened up. "All done. There are 253 tennis balls in total. We have 253 tennis balls in the box."

"Eh? But I'm pretty sure they were rolling in all directions. We can't…"

"Possibly have picked them all up so fast, was what you were trying to say right?" Once more, Inui's jaw dropped at that, and the brunette had his answer.

"There are no more tennis balls to pick up, or do you not trust me?" the brunette asked.

Inui blinked. "Ah. Well. I trust you. If you say so then. Ah. Thank you so much for your help. I'm…"

"Inui Sadaharu, 4th year, bloodtype AB, right hander, lives with parents at Ginko street. You always serve by putting your right foot behind your left at a 30 degrees angle and…"

"How…do you know all that…and what 30 degrees angle?" Inui asked, his glasses slipping slightly off his nose.

The boy turned those closed lids to him. "You mentioned most of that on your first day here. As for the rest, I observed." He held out a hand to Inui. "Yanagi Renji, 4th year, bloodtype A, right hander. I…"

"Ah, nice to meet you, Yanagi-kun." Inui shook his hand, cutting him off. He didn't think it necessary for Yanagi to give him all his personal details.

The two boys made their way to the clubroom in companionable silence. Upon reaching it, Inui found Satou-senpai, the one who was supposed to be in charge of putting away the equipment today, smoking in there.

"You're late, Inui-kun. The captain was already starting to question me and…Y-Yanagi!" He paled, the cigarette falling out of his fingers.

Yanagi walked over calmly, his eyes flicking briefly to the cigarette on the floor before turning back to the senior, who looked positively terrified at the sight of him. "I believe you were in charge of cleaning up after practice today, senpai, so why is Inui-kun here doing the job for you?"

The senior gave a weak laugh. "Ah well, he…"

"Offered to help, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi muttered quietly. The senior paled. By now, Inui was quite convinced that his new acquaintance was psychic. "Ah, speaking of offering to help, I believe you were offering to help too when you took 1000 yen from the club's funds. Helping to keep an eye on the funds, I'm sure. Strangely you used that 1000 yen to…"

"I get it, I get it." The senior looked like a ghost now, with how 'white' his face was. He turned to Inui and gave a forced smile. "Tomorrow's your turn to clean up after practice right? I'll give you a hand then. You can go on home early tomorrow."

Inui was left blinking at the senior's completely whipped look, and he looked mildly awed as the senior scurried out of the clubroom as fast as he could. Yanagi walked over to where the cigarette lay and picked it up. Inui thought he was going to throw it away but to his surprise, Yanagi merely placed it into a small container and pocketed it.

"A-anou…Yanagi-kun. Do you…"

"Smoke, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi turned to face him. "No I don't, but everything has its uses eventually, even this."

Inui had no idea what Yanagi was talking about, and he gave up trying to interpret it. Yanagi helped to put away the tennis balls before he straightened up. "Want to walk home together, Inui-kun?" He asked abruptly.

Inui looked up in surprise. During his whole elementary school life, no one has offered to walk with him. Ever. Yanagi looked at him calmly, his face unreadable.

"Ah. Sure." Inui gave a genuine smile. Maybe this time, his brief stay in this school wouldn't be so bad after all.

XXX

They weren't friends. Just acquaintances. Inui insisted to himself even as he sat below one of the trees, just a distance away from the tennis clubs. No one ever came here, so he should be able to take his naps in peace.

"Inui-kun. Just as I had calculated, you're here after all." Yanagi's mildly cheery greeting could be heard.

Inui opened his eyes and sat up. "Yanagi-kun." He greeted. He made some space for Yanagi to sit. The brunette dropped down onto the grass, just next to him.

They weren't friends, but Yanagi seemed to take him as one, even if Inui did not return that favour. They were both outcasts. Their teammates shied away from Inui because he was a geek, and Yanagi because he was…psychic? That was the only reason Inui could think up of. While Yanagi was an outcast too, the team members, even the seniors and scarily, the captain too, didn't get in his way. No one bullied him, and while Inui was with Yanagi, no one bullied Inui either. Maybe that was the reason why he enjoyed Yanagi's presence.

Yanagi opened his bento and offered some of his egg rolls to Inui. The latter accepted it, giving a quiet word of thanks. For a while, they sat side by side, not speaking. Neither liked to speak during meals anyway.

A gust of wind rustled the leaves above them, whipping some of the leaves into Inui's face. He raised a hand to shield his face momentarily, then when he lowered his hand, he turned to his side to see how Yanagi was doing.

Apparently, the wind had whipped the other boy's hair into his face, and when he brushed his bangs aside, Inui couldn't help thinking that his haircut made him look somewhat like a girl.

"You're thinking that this haircut makes me look like a girl. Am I right?" Yanagi's voice cut through his thoughts. It was only then did Inui realize he was staring.

Yanagi gave a chuckle and finished the last of his lunch. With the bento polished, Yanagi replaced the lid and tucked the box back inside his bag. "By the way, Inui-kun. The coach has asked to meet both of us later."

Inui turned to him, a questioning eyebrow raised. He knew he didn't need to ask any questions. Yanagi was psychic anyway.

Surely enough, Yanagi answered. "He didn't tell me what was on his mind, so I do not know why he wishes to speak to the two of us."

Inui nodded. "I see." So there were things even the psychic Yanagi did not know about. How rare.

Yanagi was the first to get to his feet. "Well then, if coach wishes to see us, let us not keep him waiting. Come, Inui-kun."

"Aa." Inui followed him, heading towards the courts.

The coach greeted them both. "You're finally here. Inui-kun, Yanagi-kun. I want the two of you to play doubles." He was incredibly direct, going straight to the point at seeing them.

His statement was met by stares. Inui cast a side-glance at Yanagi. By the look of surprise, he doubted Yanagi and his psychic powers had predicted this. "Eh? Doubles?" Yanagi was the first to ask.

"Hai. I've watched both of your play styles, and from my observations, the both of you have potential in doubles." The coach explained.

Seeing the exchange of uneasy glances, the coach sighed. "Very well. We'll have a short practice match now. Inui-kun, Yanagi-kun. You'll be playing against Satou-kun and Shio-kun."

Inui gulped. These two…were regulars. How could he and Yanagi play against regulars?

Yanagi said nothing. Instead, he picked up his racket. "Let's go, Inui-kun."

"Aa." Inui followed suit. He rarely played doubles, and considered himself only average at it. He followed more of a power player's style, though his tennis was flexible, so he could be considered a bit of an all rounder too. Still, how could his tennis be used in doubles?

A rally began amongst the four. Inui scored the first game with his trademark high speed serve. When it was the senior's turn, Inui no longer had that advantage, and had to keep the seniors from scoring instead.

He made a mistake, and one of the balls shot past his feet. 'Not good!' Inui thought to himself.

"Leave it to me." Yanagi seemed to have appeared abruptly from nowhere. The brunette caught the shot and hit it back over the net. "Inui-kun! The right!"

Inui obeyed, and surely enough, the ball shot over to his direction. Incredible! Yanagi's psychic could be included in tennis too?

Whenever Inui made a mistake, Yanagi was quick to cover for him, and the pair won, 6 games to 4. The coach smiled at them as they walked out of the courts, heading over to him. "Well, Inui-kun, Yanagi-kun. Will you play doubles?"

Before Inui could answer, Yanagi had cut him to it. "Aa. I'm fine with that."

He gave Inui a glance, and Inui nodded. "I'm fine with doubles too."

XXX

While Inui did say he was fine, secretly, he felt inferior to Yanagi. The psychic tennis player had skills which made his tennis look like child's play, and Inui felt that their levels were too different.

It took a lot of debating with himself before he went to look for his doubles partner days later, hoping to improve his tennis.

Yanagi seemed to know where his favourite spot was, under the tree, and surely enough, Inui found him there.

"Yanagi-kun…could you teach me psychic?" Inui broached the subject as both of them sat down to lunch.

Yanagi dropped his eating utensils, his eyes opening slightly to reveal violet diamonds. Inui couldn't help staring. This was the first time he had actually seen Yanagi's eyes.

"Psychic? What on earth gave you the idea I have that?" Yanagi asked, chuckling, even as his eyelids slid close again.

Inui blinked. He didn't? "Well…you always knew what I wanted to say, and you knew almost everything about everyone, and you can even predict shots."

Yanagi stared at him. "Inui-kun…that's not psychic. I was using data tennis."

"Data tennis?" Inui repeated.

"Hai. It's mostly to do with observation skills, and you have to use analytical skills as well. I believe you do have the talent for this." Yanagi told him, smiling faintly.

Inui looked hopeful. "Then…could you…"

"Teach me data tennis, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi supplied. To Inui's relief, the psy- no… the Data tennis player gave a nod. "Very well."

XXX

"Game, Inui-Yanagi pair, 6 games to 2." The referee announced, causing their teammates to burst into cheers.

Inui had picked up data tennis very fast, and now, the Data Pair of this school was feared by all the other doubles players from seeded schools.

Ever since they had started training together, the two were quite inseparable, always going over to each other's houses to compare all their data. Somewhere along the way, Inui had become Sadaharu, and Yanagi had become Renji. They had even given each other nicknames for the fun of it, Inui being Hakase, and Yanagi being Kyojyu. Indeed, Inui talked about his acquaintance so much, his parents had jokingly teased him that he sounded like a girl with a first crush.

"Well, I'm glad that you have found a friend like Yanagi-kun. Oh, by the way, Sadaharu. I have good news for you. Your father has finally managed to secure the job as manager. We're not moving anymore."

It was like sunshine after the rain. Inui's face brightened. They weren't moving anymore. He didn't have to move to another school again. It didn't matter even if he formed bonds with his teammates. Yanagi could finally be his friend.

The following day, Inui met up with his friend again. Yanagi's expression looked a little different from usual, but he smiled at Inui all the same. "Sadaharu. You're late." He teased.

"Gomen, Renji. I overslept." The data pair walked to school together. As usual, they had practice, and as usual, the data pair beats their opponents flat.

After practice, Inui removed his glasses and placed them at a safe corner before washing his face. He heard footsteps, and calculated a 99 percent chance that it was Yanagi.

"Sadaharu." His doubles partner called his name.

Inui looked up, and noticed Yanagi standing just next to him. "Renji. What's up?"

Yanagi said nothing for a while. He only stared. After a moment, Yanagi smiled. "Green."

"Eh?" Inui had no idea what he was talking about.

Yanagi opened his eyes slightly. "Your eyes. They're green."

"Ah. Yes." That's right. His eyes were always hidden behind glasses, Yanagi has probably never seen them before.

Yanagi glanced over at the courts. "I've been thinking, Sadaharu. We've never had a serious match against each other before. I wonder which of us is stronger?"

Inui calculated what Yanagi was trying to say. "You wish for us to have a match, don't you? I don't mind."

Yanagi brightened at that. "I'll get the net." He jogged off.

It didn't take long, but eventually, the data pair was engaged in a rally against each other. Inui truly enjoyed the match, for Yanagi was proving to be a very challenging opponent indeed. It was data against data, and there was an equal chance for either of them to win. The game count was now 5-4, Yanagi leading. "Here I come. Prepare yourself, Sadaharu!"

The coach just had to choose that time to make an appearance. Even though the game ended abruptly, Inui didn't feel upset at all, just a little disappointed. At least he had fun.

"Renji. Let's always be doubles partners. Forever." Inui told him happily as they walked home together..

Yanagi's footsteps slowed at that, and the haunted look was back in his face.

"Sadaharu…forgive me…" Without an explanation, Yanagi took off at a run, leaving Inui behind. Inui reached out a hand in the direction of his doubles partner.

"Renji…"  
  
XXX

The alarm rang, startling Inui out of his flashback. He sat up, realizing he was seated in front of the pc and…apparently, he had fallen asleep. Brilliant, now he'd be going to school with some shapes on his face made by the keys of his keyboard. Looking at the data he typed, he realized he had written the name 'Renji' at least five times in the whole page. He'd have to retype this whole page of data.

He hadn't heard of his childhood friend since then, and till that day, he wondered just what had happened to him. Why had Yanagi made an abrupt disappearance that day?

Giving a sigh, Inui switched off the computer and headed towards the bathroom to wash up. He had a long day ahead.

To be continued…

-Gwyn


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic. Mentions of MPREG (Male Pregnancy)**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

A/N: There will be some things different from the anime/manga. For one, Yukimura's supposed to have collapsed from his illness around the end of his sophomore year, but in here, he will have his illness around mid year.

Also, Yukimura and Sanada will only become captain and vice-captain in their third years, not second like in the anime/manga.

Aside from that, I'll try to stay as close to canon as possible.

**Jenny**, XD. I like your comment of the previous chapter being the only one where Inui wasn't a baka yet. I agree full-heartedly.

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 2

Seishun Gakuen has always been well known for its tennis club. Here, the regulars were decided by a ranking system, held once every few months, and the best eight were chosen from it.

Inui was one of the best eight this year. There was no first-year who made it this round, and only four sophomores, like him, made it. The other four were third years. Inui, Fuji and Oishi were the only ones from the sophomore age group to make it. Oh, and of course, that very scary player, Tezuka Kunimitsu too, a rival Inui had been dying to beat since his first year (but sadly, he had not succeeded so far).

The Seigaku captain this year was a highly skillful third year, but sadly, he lacked the leadership and the charisma exuded by his predecessor, Yamato Yuudai. In fact, his vice-captain Tezuka far outshone him. It was a running joke in the club that Tezuka had in fact, assigned the captain laps before when the third year buchou came late for practice sometime back.

Inui had no regrets at being in Seigaku. This was a place which truly emphasized on tennis, and it helped that Yamato was captain back during Inui's first year, which helped to boost a good first impression of the club for Inui. Inui severely doubted he'd ever change schools, not even if he was bribed for it. There was just too much data here to gather. One could never get enough data on vice-captain Tezuka, and even the tensai Fuji. These two were enigmas, of a level far higher than their age groups.

When told of the junior senbatsu camp, Inui had no doubt that Seigaku's top two would be going, along with the third year captain, of course. The captain, however, lost his place when he was defeated by Hyotei's Atobe Keigo during Singles 2. Tezuka, on the other hand, secured a place in the camp when he returned the favour and defeated Hyotei's captain in Singles 1. So it was decided that Fuji, Tezuka and a third year regular would be going. However, just a few days before the junior senbatsu camp, Tezuka's old injury acted up, and he had to forfeit the chance, thus passing the spot to Inui instead.

It didn't take long before the day of the camp arrived. Throughout the journey there, Inui had been scribbling non-stop in his notebook, so engrossed in tallying his data that he didn't notice it even when Fuji had mischievously slipped a leaf into his hair, and it took him 5 minutes to notice his teammates chuckling at him, and another 5 minutes to realize just what the source of amusement was.

Even as he stepped off the bus, his notebook was put to immediate work as he hid in some bushes, taking data on all the participants. After all, only the best of the best schools would make it here, and data on them would be very valuable. His pen flew even as one Sengoku Kiyosumi started hitting on some of the helpers there, and the scribbling became more persistent when Hyotei's team came in a limo, courtesy of one Atobe Keigo.

"As expected of Atobe, to have a limo with that many doors." Inui muttered to himself. This was one he must take a lot of data on, since he had beaten the Seigaku captain. He shifted slightly in the bushes, for one of his legs was falling asleep from squatting so long.

"Sadaharu?"

Inui turned at the voice, and his eyes widened slightly at seeing who had spoken. That brown hair, and those half-closed lids. It was no other than his long lost friend Yanagi Renji.

Yanagi's voice sounded different. Then again, Inui didn't think he sounded like his elementary school self either. Also, Yanagi had cut his hair, and had more boyish looks now instead of the slightly effeminate looks he had back then.

Yanagi's eyes opened, and Inui found himself staring at familiar violet eyes. "It really is you, Sadaharu."

"Renji. What a surprise to see you here." He noticed Yanagi's outfit. Yellow. The Rikkai Kings' outfit. "So Rikkai Dai has been invited too."

"Aa. It's nice to see Seigaku participating." Yanagi nodded at him, his eyes returning to their half-closed state.

There was an awkward silence between the old friends. At the sight of Yanagi, Inui could feel some of his old hurt returning. Yanagi, probably one of his few true friends, had left without so much of a word, and Inui hasn't even heard from him since then. Even as they met face to face now, Inui wasn't sure if they stood here as friends, or were they back to being just acquaintances.

Inui knew Yanagi was able to sense his turmoil. The other data master had always been more adept at guessing other people's thoughts than he was. The Rikkai data master shifted his weight to his left foot before bouncing back to his right again, a habit Yanagi did when he was nervous.

"Sadaharu, I…"

Before Yanagi could finish that sentence, a whistle was blown as one of the trainers signaled for all of the teams to assemble. Yanagi's eyes remained closed, and his air remained calm, even as he excused himself and made his way to his fellow Rikkai Dai teammates. Inui thought he seemed a little apologetic though. Inui gave a sigh, closed his notebook, and headed over to his Seigaku teammates.

After the speeches were made, all of them were asked to check on the room arrangements, two to a room. The others schools made way for the Rikkaians to pass. Even as the three in yellow passed them, Inui and Fuji's third year senior lowered his voice as he whispered to them. "This is truly going to be challenging, with Rikkai Dai joining the camp. In fact, have you heard rumours regarding the three Rikkai Demons? Two of them are present at the camp. One is the Emperor Sanada, that cap-wearing boy over there. Without Tezuka-kun or the Rikkai regular Yukimura here, he is easily the strongest junior high tennis player in the scene. The second demon is the Master Yanagi, the boy with closed eyes over there. It's said that even the current Rikkai captain is afraid of him."

Inui glanced over at Yanagi. Rikkai Demon huh…he did not doubt that, knowing Yanagi's abilities quite well. He watched as Yanagi leaned over and spoke to his fellow Rikkai demon Sanada. Yanagi had called him "Genichirou", and for some reason, the close proximity between them was making Inui uncomfortable. The use of Sanada's given name had caused a twinge in Inui, but the data master ignored it.

"Genichirou? Sanada Genichirou, that's his full name?" Fuji asked curiously.

Their third year senior nodded. "Hai. The three Rikkai demons have known each other since their first year, so they're quite close. If I'm not mistaken, all of them call each other by their given names…except the Emperor Sanada. He's too serious to call them by their given names."

Inui was already writing all that down in his notebook. He had an odd urge to collect more data on Sanada, and find out all his secrets for future reference. For some reason, Inui already disliked him on the first day, even though the cap-wearing boy hadn't offended him. That left Inui scratching his head (mentally). Maybe he should have taken a nap on the bus trip after all. The lack of sleep must be catching up with him.

All of them had a round of practice first before they retired to their rooms. Throughout the day, the twinge only got stronger, no matter how Inui tried to ignore it. Yanagi was awfully close to Sanada, and Inui heard the word 'Genichirou' popping up more times than he was comfortable with. He must have some kind of a special friendship, to be able to call that scary-faced Rikkai regular by his name. Inui was pretty sure no one in Seigaku called Tezuka 'Kunimitsu' just yet .Not even his best friend Oishi did that.

As he retired to his room, Inui sat on his bed with a sigh, reflecting on the day's events. He finally came up with a conclusion. Yanagi was one of the few friends he had, and because of that, Inui was afraid of losing this friend. Therefore, his subconscious mind was already reacting to the possibility of losing Yanagi's friendship to Sanada. Somewhat satisfied with that hypothesis, Inui lay back on his bed. Even as he dozed off, Inui couldn't help thinking that he was incredibly childish when it came to defending his friendship with Yanagi.

As hour passed. Perhaps two. When Inui opened his eyes, he was surprised to find a pair of violet eyes watching him.

Those eyes disappeared instantly. "Gomen, Sadaharu. Did I wake you?"

Still groggy, Inui vaguely wondered why there was someone in his room. After blinking the sleep away and sitting up, he remembered that there were two to a room, so this should be his roommate.

He looked up to see Yanagi sitting on his own bed, just across his. "Renji." He greeted shortly, the twinge he felt earlier now becoming an odd sort of resentment, one which made him reluctant to speak to his roommate.

Yanagi kept his hands clasped. "You're still angry with me, Sadaharu." Yanagi pointed out something which was rather obvious. Inui said nothing to that, neither agreeing nor disagreeing to that statement.

The Rikkai Data master shifted- a sign of nerves. "I really should apologize to you, Sadaharu. My family moved to a different region because of work, and I had not even said goodbye to you when I left."

Inui swallowed, his mind replaying their last encounter clearly. Yanagi noticed that and continued on. "It was pretty silly of me then. I had hoped to leave everything behind when I moved, so that I could start a new school-life, at wherever I was to be enrolled in. If I had said goodbye…I wouldn't want to leave."

Inui stared at his childhood friend, who looked pretty awkward before him. Inui understood that feeling. Back then, hadn't he done the same each time he switched schools? By detaching oneself from one's friends, it was probably a bad, yet instinctive way of trying to protect oneself from the hurt.

Yanagi spoke again. "I'm sorry, Sadaharu. I shouldn't have…"

"No. It's all right." Inui didn't need the apology anymore. "I'm not particularly offended." He hoped he sounded sincere at that line.

Yanagi could sense that Inui wasn't entirely truthful, and he gave a weak smile. "Is there anyway I can make it up to you?"

Inui was quiet at that for a while. "Aa. There is." He turned to his friend. "Give me data on Rikkai, and I'll consider it."

The mood lightened up considerably in the room as the two laughed, their bond of friendship renewed once more.

XXX

Even as it drew closer to curfew, the two friends were still seated on their respective beds, deep in conversation, catching up on all those times they have been apart.

"I wish Seiichi were here though." Yanagi sighed.

"Seiichi?" Inui repeated.

"Yukimura Seiichi, the strongest of the Rikkai demons. He is easily the strongest junior high tennis player, but he collapsed during practice one day and had to be rushed to the hospital. The Guillain-Barré syndrome, apparently. He hasn't been able to really play tennis since then, having to go in and out of the hospital on numerous occasions. I think Genichirou has been quite lonely without him."

"What?" Inui didn't quite understand.

Yanagi chuckled. "It's a running joke in Rikkai. Genichirou is hopelessly devoted to Seiichi."

"Ah. And what about you and Sanada?" Inui couldn't help asking, the twinge returning full force.

"What about Genichirou and I?" Yanagi asked curiously.

Inui fought to keep his face expressionless. "The two of you seemed rather, ah, close."

Yanagi blinked. "Of course. The three of us are very good friends…or at least, I'm a good friend of theirs. The relationship between the two of them is of a completely different level altogether."

"I see. So they're best friends?" Inui asked, his pen flying across the pages of his notebook.

Yanagi shook his head. "They're boyfriends."

Inui's pen broke. He whipped his head up sharply. "E-excuse me?"

"Sadaharu. I'm pretty sure that your hearing is much better than that. You heard me. Those two are seeing each other." Yanagi said all these casually.

If it wasn't because Inui knew Yanagi so well, he would have thought that his leg was being pulled. So what Yanagi was saying was that there was a boy…seeing another boy. This sentence was synthetically correct, but semantically, there was just something wrong about it.

Something else struck Inui. Yanagi had spoken so calmly, it was almost as if he was commenting on tennis instead. Inui never knew that his friend was so accepting about it. Good data. Wait…did that mean Yanagi belonged to…that type too?

"What about you?" Inui's blurted out, and mentally slapped himself for the slip.

Yanagi cocked his head to one side. "What about me?"

"Do you…are you…with Sanada…" Inui could not string together a coherent sentence, and he wanted to hit himself for it.

Yanagi stared at him for a while, then gave a chuckle. "Not particularly. Our relationship is platonic. I wouldn't be so cruel to Seiichi as to have it otherwise. Genichirou is not the one who holds my favour."

Somehow, the twinge was gone, and Inui was instead filled with the odd urge to start laughing with happiness. He concluded that he must be relieved to not have his friend taken from him anytime soon.

"Then do you-"

"It's getting late, Sadaharu. I believe that was the bell for curfew. Good night, hakase." Yanagi spoke up abruptly, and Inui knew that he must have breached a topic Yanagi did not wish to discuss.

Inui decided to back down with the questions. "Aa. Good night, kyojyu."

The day's journey caught up with Inui, and he fell asleep very quickly. It was a pity though, or he would have heard the whispered "Sadaharu" in the dark.

XXX

They were divided into three teams, each team consisting of about 10 people. Inui's third year senior was assigned to team one, Fuji went to team two, and Inui was in team three. Yanagi was placed in the same team as Fuji's, and Inui…was stuck with Atobe and Sanada, who were bickering from day to night like a married couple who couldn't get along well.

These two gave good data, just as Fuji and Tezuka had. Both had an ever changing play-style, and both exuded a passion for tennis so strong, they would have given Tezuka a run for his money. Also, both had an incredibly extensive vocabulary whenever they started bickering, and they could still sound so refined while they were at it. Inui had no regrets for coming to the camp at all.

Inui sat on one of the benches and took out his notebook when he noticed that the two of them had met face to face again. He scribbled away as the two started another 'debate competition'. "Sanada Genichirou, favourite phrase, Tarundoru. Atobe Keigo, favourite phrase, Be awed by my beautiful skills." Inui muttered to himself even as he jotted down the words.

"You forgot his "ore-sama" phrase." Someone pointed out to him.

Yanagi was standing right behind him, leaning over and glancing at his notebook, his chin mere inches away from his shoulder.

"Ah. That's right. Thank you, Renji." Inui added that to his notebook. Yanagi walked over to the front and sat down on the bench, just next to him.

"What are you doing here anyway? Doesn't your group have practice?" Inui asked curiously.

"We're having a short break. Sengoku-san sprained his ankle, and they're giving him treatment now." Yanagi informed him.

"Is that so?" Inui added that to his data. Yanagi didn't really say much after that, contented in just sitting there and watching the match. Inui couldn't help being awed by his former doubles partner's memory. Yanagi could always watch the match first and put the data down in his notebook later. Inui, on the other hand, would jot down everything even as the match went on. He didn't trust his data to be accurate if he dilly dallied. The match went on, and the two data masters continued sitting there in silence. It was Inui who decided to break the silence, as he wondered if he was boring Yanagi to death with the lack of conversation.

"Renji, this is my latest invention. Inui's Special Remix Juice. Would you like to try some?" Inui held up one of his containers.

Yanagi gave a chuckle. "I see you're still making those juices of yours again, Sadaharu. What is the flavour this time, I wonder." The Rikkai data master took the container from Inui's hand and took a sip. Inui watched, observing his reaction eagerly. After a while, Yanagi lowered the container. "It was delicious! Garlic…and some spring onions. Oh, and you've added celery and wheatgrass, haven't you?" He asked brightly.

Inui's face broke into a smile. "Indeed. As usual, you're able to tell what the juice is made of." As Yanagi finished the drink, a sort of warmth flowed through Inui. Yanagi was a true friend indeed. So few actually understood Inui, and Yanagi was the first to approach him with the hand of friendship, and the first to help Inui out of his awkward, anti-social shell. Also, how many could actually understand the true beauty of his Inui Juices? Everyone else fled at the sight of his creations, something which Inui was still struggling to understand. His Inui Juices were healthy, and filled with taste, so why wouldn't the rest drink it? Well…Fuji did seem to like his drinks, but that guy couldn't really be counted. He was freaky, and all of Inui's data pointed to that conclusion. Yanagi, on the other hand, truly enjoyed his drinks, and he was the only one who could name all the components in the juice. It wasn't a wonder that Inui liked him so much.

Inui paused at that thought. 'As a friend, of course.' His mind added to the sentence.

Inui picked up his bottle and took a sip. Yanagi glanced over. "Is that the same as this drink?"

"Hmm? Oh. No, this is not the same drink. This is one of my earlier inventions, and it's not as tasty as the other one." Inui told the other boy.

Yanagi chuckled. "I'll be the judge of that. May I have some?"

Wordlessly, Inui passed the bottle over, and Yanagi took a sip. This wasn't something new. They had shared their drinks in the past anyway, so Inui didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Yanagi lowered the bottle, seemingly discerning the components of the drink. "Bitter gourd. You've added seaweed and a bit of grass too. It's good, with a mildly bitter aftertaste."

"You liked it? I had thought that the other one was better." Inui looked a little surprised, though secretly he was also a little pleased.

Yanagi gave a simple shrug. "It's fine. You're the one who made it anyway."

The match was over. Sanada had won. Again. Atobe had never really been able to hold a candle against the Rikkai regular. While Atobe's skills were way over the level of a junior high student, Sanada still had more ferocity in his shots, not to mention he had some skills which could seal off all of Atobe's best moves.

The coach called for Inui and a Yamabuki third year to play a match. Inui got up from his seat and left his notebook on the bench. "Well then, I'll be going now."

"Ganbatte, Sadaharu." Yanagi nodded at him.

Throughout the match, Inui could feel Yanagi watching him intently, probably calculating all the angles of his shots. Somehow, with Yanagi as part of the audience, Inui instinctively played to his full strength, wishing to show the one who had taught him data tennis just how much his skills had grown. He wanted to impress Yanagi with his skills, and once more, that left Inui scratching his head (mentally again, of course. He couldn't possibly do that physically if he was in the middle of a match). He concluded that he just wanted to do his best before his closest friend.

When the match ended, Inui returned to the bench. Yanagi was no longer there, having left sometime ago because his break ended. Plopping down onto the bench, Inui could still feel the lingering warmth of Yanagi's body heat. He took a sip of his drink, wiped his forehead with a towel and picked his notebook off the bench, flipping to the last page to prepare for another round of data-taking, as the next match was beginning soon.

Upon reaching the last page, however, Inui stopped.

For apparently, Yanagi had been taking his data for him when Inui had his match. Inui recognized Yanagi's neat handwriting, and Yanagi had even added personal notes as well as insight.

At the bottom of the page, Yanagi had written a simple sentence.

_You have improved. Kyojyu._

That warmth was back in his chest, causing Inui to smile. "Arigatou. Renji."

XXX

The two data masters were the terrors of the whole camp. Everyone knew not to get on their bad side; least some secret or another became widespread knowledge instead.

During practice, Yanagi and Inui hardly saw each other, since their groups were placed in different courts. During break times, and during mealtimes, however, they were inseparable. When they met up, they compared and corrected each other's data. Also, they had small debates over certain information, such as whether the angle of the shot was supposed to be 45 degrees or 45.1 degrees.

Back in their shared room, Inui set about making more Inui juice, eager to show Yanagi some of his more 'popular' creations while he had the chance. Yanagi was a very cooperative volunteer when it came to testing out the drinks, and Inui had yet to have a negative review for his creations. Also, Yanagi had yet to make a mistake when it came to guessing the ingredients.

"As expected of Renji." Inui laughed when Yanagi managed to crack the secret of his drink for the 10th time.

Yanagi smiled. "I doubt you will be able to come up with a drink I can't identify."

"Oh? Is that a challenge?" Inui asked, glasses glinting.

Yanagi shrugged. "Maybe."

The data masters shared a laugh at that. Inui got to his feet and held out a hand to Yanagi. "It's a deal then. I'll try to come up with a drink you can't guess the ingredients for, and if I win, you'll play a match against me."

"Aa. Of course, Sadaharu." Yanagi shook his hand. Inui thought that Yanagi had held on 0.4 minutes longer than usual, but he dismissed that thought.

XXX

They continued to go on data hunts and make vegetable juices. Inui hadn't felt this happy in a while. It was almost as if Yanagi had never left in the first place.

However, the camp was only for one week, and on the night of the sixth day, everyone busied themselves with packing their belongings, all getting ready to leave the following day.

"Carrots, bean sprouts and green beans. Really, Sadaharu. You've lost the challenge." Yanagi smiled.

Inui sighed. "I really can't beat you after all." He plopped down on his bed.

Yanagi lay back against his own pillow and sighed. "I'm going to miss this though, your Inui Juice. It will be a while before we meet again."

"Aa. Most likely the next time we meet, it'll be as rivals on the courts." Inui agreed, trying to keep the glumness from his voice.

Yanagi stifled a yawn, closing his eyes. "Sadaharu."

"Hmm?" Inui glanced over.

Yanagi pulled the blankets over himself, covering his form fully. "If anything, I'm happy that I have the chance to meet you again."

"Aa. Me too." Inui replied. Yanagi didn't respond to that, seemingly dropping off to sleep.

As Inui lay in his bed, he couldn't help feeling like this was going to be a long separation again. No. He didn't want their friendship to end just like that. Wouldn't that be like what happened during their elementary schooldays?

Setting his alarm earlier, Inui decided that he'd wake early tomorrow. He wished to give Yanagi a parting gift.

XXX

At dawn, Inui woke at the first ring of his alarm, and he shut it off swiftly before he disturbed his still sleeping roommate.

Getting to his feet silently, Inui washed up and left the room, going out to look for materials to make his new Inui Juice. He took what he could from the kitchen area and started heading over to the dining area, where he would have plenty of space to create the juice. As he passed the gardens, however, his attention was caught by some of the roses there.

Calculating it in his mind, Inui decided that he might want to add an ingredient Yanagi wouldn't be able to guess, and reaching out, he plucked a rose and hurried on to get the drink prepared.

Mixing all the ingredients together, Inui looked worriedly at his watch. It was close to the time they had to gather and board the buses. He didn't have much time left. He took the rose, his final ingredient, and started plucking some of the petals and adding it into the mixture.

In his haste, however, he didn't realize he had pricked his finger on a thorn, and one of the petals was stained with his blood. Oblivious to it, Inui let that petal fall into the concoction.

The whole mixture bubbled violently for a while, then abruptly, all colours vanished, leaving it clear. It could be easily mistaken as water, if it wasn't for the very, very slight, blue shade.

He did not have the time to ponder over it. He took another glance of his watch, gave a yelp and hurriedly placed the new invention in a bottle before dashing back to the dorms.

Upon reaching his room, however, he realized that most of the other participants had left. Yanagi was gone too, taking his belongings with him. Inui then remembered that the Rikkai bus was going to be the first to leave.

He seized his own bags and dashed out of the room, nearly bowling over a still recuperating Sengoku as he ran past. Heading to the meeting place, Inui could see that the bus was just about to move.

"Inui. Just in time. We're going to board the bus now." Fuji told him.

Inui didn't make a reply to that. Instead, he dumped his bags in his poor third year senior's arms and rushed over to the Rikkai bus before it pulled away. He could always apologize to his senior later for his rudeness. For now, he had more important things to attend to.

"Renji!" Inui called his friend's name.

Yanagi poked his head out of one of the windows. "Sadaharu! Where have you been the whole morning?"

"That's not important. Catch!" Inui tossed him the bottle.

Yanagi caught it perfectly. He could see the other data master's eyes opening slightly. It didn't take a rocket scientist to associate the bottle of drink to Inui's lateness.

Yanagi turned back to him, smiling. "Arigatou, Sadaharu."

"I'll see you when we face each other on the courts, Renji." Inui called out to him.

"Aa. That's a promise, Sadaharu." Yanagi called back even as the bus pulled away.

Inui continued to watch, turning back to his Seigaku teammates only when the bus left the area.

Now then, he had one senpai to apologize to.

XXX

That night, Inui sat before his computer, typing out all the data he has collected from the camp so far. He smiled to himself as he remembered the camp. He looked forward to meeting Renji at camp next year too.

His phone rang, and he picked it up. An unknown number. Who could it be? He allowed the call through and placed the phone to his ear.

_"Sadaharu."_

"Renji! How did you get my number?" Inui sounded happy. He had already missed his friend, even though they had only been away for less than a day."

There was a familiar laugh at the other end. _"You look down on my data gathering skills, Sadaharu. By the way, lemons, seaweed, onions…"_ Yanagi proceeded to name the 20 ingredients Inui had put in the drink. _"…and rose."_ Yanagi even managed to get that last item.

Inui laughed. "You have it all correct, Renji."

_"Mm. And I owe you that game after all. I can't figure out the last item."_ Yanagi told him.

Inui was surprised. "No. You've named all the items I've put in there. There is nothing else."

There was a pause. _"Strange. There is something else, sort of tangy, with a mildly salty taste. I can't guess this one and-"_ Inui could hear voices on the other end.

"Who's there?" Inui asked curiously.

_"Genichirou. He's here to borrow my science notes. Hang on."_ Inui could hear Yanagi calling over his shoulder, telling Sanada that the notes were on his table.

When he was done, Yanagi went back to the phone. _"Thank you, Sadaharu, for the drink. It was delicious."_

"I'm glad you liked it. When did you drink it anyway? That was fast."

"_Shortly after dinner a couple of hours back. I…"_ There was a long pause at the other end of the phone.

Inui frowned. "Renji?"

After a while, Yanagi's voice could be heard again at the other end. _"Gomen, Sadaharu. Just felt a little dizzy. Resuming what I was saying…"_ Inui could hear more voices in the background. Sanada couldn't find the notes, apparently.

Yanagi sighed. _"I'm going to go get those notes for him. I'll be right back."_ There was the sound of the chair moving as Yanagi got up. Inui waited patiently for him to return to the call. Moments later, he heard a 'thump' on the other end, and wondered if something heavy had fallen to the floor. This was then followed by Sanada's yell of "Yanagi!"

Inui's heart missed a beat. "Renji? Moshi moshi? Renji!"

To be continued…

Hmm…for the timeline, the junior senbatsu camp will be somewhere around August in this fic.

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

-Gwyn


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot…and this particular Inui Juice. (grins)**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 3

Inui felt like he was sitting on spikes the whole day (even though he wasn't sitting at the moment).

Even with all the usual activities going on in the tennis club, Inui didn't even feel like data collecting, his gaze fixed blankly on a ball cart for ages. He wasn't distracted even when the first years Momoshiro Takeshi and Kaidou Kaoru began a fistfight in his face, and Oishi tried to pull those two apart.

During his match, Inui was barely putting much effort into his shots, moving like a machine instead of a human. Well, that should fuel those rumours running around the club that Inui was part computer, not that Inui actually cared about what the others said at the moment.

The events from the night before replayed in his mind. Inui had been debating with himself as to whether he should run all the way to Rikkai Dai's dorms when Sanada picked up the phone and informed Inui that Yanagi had passed out, and that he was going to take him to the hospital. Sanada had, in a subtle way, hinted that Inui was NOT welcome to run all the way to the hospital in the middle of the night, and the cap-wearing boy had given his word that he could handle the situation.

Inui sighed, his neglected notebook still held in his hands. How was Yanagi doing now? Tennis practice had never felt longer in his whole life. He wanted nothing more than to dash to the hospital, but that might earn him laps…then again, laps didn't sound like a bad idea at the moment.

"Your game was absolutely horrible, Inui. Where is your focus?" A serious voice made him glance up. Apparently the vice-captain was now standing next to him.

"Tezuka." Inui acknowledged his presence. He didn't know how Tezuka knew his state of mind, since Inui kept his usual mask on. It sure took a tree to understand another.

The poker-faced vice-captain frowned at him. "One will not be able to play tennis with such a distracted state of mind."

"Aa. I'm sorry." Inui apologized. He opened his notebook, turning to a clean page, but remained staring at it blankly.

Tezuka remained standing next to him, with his arms folded and the usual frown plastered on his face. Even so, Tezuka was probably aware of Inui's current inner turmoil. The vice-captain eventually turned to him again. "Whatever that is on your mind, you will have to deal with it fast or you won't be able to play at your best."

Inui considered his words for a while. Moments later, he shut his notebook and stood up before turning to the brunette. "Tezuka. I'm sorry, but I'll have to excuse myself early today. I have something important to attend to."

Tezuka gave him a stern stare for a while, saying nothing. Inui had a feeling the brunette was studying him to see if he was lying. After a while, Tezuka turned back to watch the games going on at that moment. "Go. I'll pass the word to the captain and Ryusaki-sensei."

Inui thanked him, grabbed his bag and ran out of the courts at top speed. He was anxious to get to the hospital, having worried himself with unnecessary data on Yanagi's possible condition the whole morning as to what had happened to his friend the night before. Sanada hadn't updated him on anything, but considering Inui and the cap-wearing boy were not even acquaintances, let alone friends, Inui had not expected his call either. Inui didn't like it if he had null data on anyone, especially Yanagi.

He must have broken all his previous running records by the time he reached the hospital. It was a good substitute for his usual training. Wheezing out Yanagi's name to a very startled nurse at the counter, Inui got the brunette's ward number and dashed towards that direction.

Even before he reached, he knew he was in enemy territory, as he could see a sea of yellow before the ward. Rikkai regulars. They weren't the enemies though. He was, and his blue uniform had as much effect on them as if he had tied a headband around his head with the words "The Enemy" on it. All of them gave him a wary glance as he approached, all wondering what a Seigaku regular was doing at a Rikkai regular's ward.

They allowed him to pass, leaving him unmolested, but maintaining a hawk's eye on him. Upon entering the room, Inui noticed Sanada and a beautiful blue-haired lady sitting by Yanagi's bedside. Sanada too wore his Rikkai outfit, while the lady was dressed in a light blue shirt and pants.

Yanagi was awake, and he glanced towards the side when he heard Inui walk in. "Sadaharu. Did you run all the way here?" He sounded happy to see his former doubles partner, albeit a little tired too.

Inui stopped by Yanagi's bedside, just about a foot away from where his friend lay. "Aa. I…"

"Wanted to do some exercise on the way here, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi managed a weak chuckle. "It seems that I'm right." He winced slightly, then sank back lower against the pillow.

Inui looked at him, the worry returning full force. "How are you feeling?"

Yanagi smiled weakly. "It's nothing to worry about. There is a 76.3 percent chance that I caught a bug yesterday, and I'm just feeling a little dizzy." Inui's expression was probably unreadable to the others in the room, like Sanada and the blue haired lady, but Yanagi seemed to know what was going on in his mind. "Really, Sadaharu. Don't give me that kind of expression. I'll be fine. 96 percent chance based on my calculations, in fact." Even though Yanagi looked like he was about to pass out again, he didn't stop his reassurances.

Sanada placed a hand on Yanagi's shoulder. "You're not fine, Yanagi. You need rest." Abruptly, the cap-wearing boy then turned to Inui, his eyes blazing. "You! What kind of nonsense did you make him drink? You're the one who got him into this condition! You poisoned him!"

"Genichirou, it's nothing of that sort. His drink was perfectly fine. It was probably something I ate during dinner." Yanagi, who was still nursing a dizzy head, was quick to defend his friend.

"Genichirou. Calm down. You're being too harsh." The blue-haired lady spoke calmly.

Her voice had an instantaneous effect on the Rikkai demon, who deflated, though he did cast Inui one last glare. "You're too soft, Yukimura. This guy should be punished for causing Yanagi to be this sick." He grumbled.

Inui blinked. Wait…Yukimura? The 'Seiichi' Yanagi had mentioned during camp? The third member of the Rikkai Demons? Then…this couldn't possibly be a lady.

The Seigaku data master lowered his gaze to the blue-haired's chest area. Yup. Most definitely male. Looks could be so misleading.

"It's not certain what has caused Renji to be ill, but you can't jump to conclusions so quickly, Genichirou." Yukimura chided. Inui could sense the bond between the two, even though they weren't really showing it. There were those subtle hints. A touch on the arm, the softening of the gaze, the faint smile. For any normal person, they probably wouldn't have noticed it, but for a data master, their actions were speaking volumes of their affections towards each other. Inui now saw what Yanagi had meant by them being together.

He turned away, not wanting to look any longer even though it was good data. As good as their chemistry was, there was just something so wrong with the picture. They're both males!

Yukimura stood up, taking one of Sanada's hands. "Come, Genichirou, you've been here for about two hours already. Let's go for tea. We can leave the two here to chat."

"Two hours, 3 minutes and 47 seconds, to be exact." Yanagi corrected.

"Yukimura! I don't think…" Sanada wanted to protest, but the blue-haired gir…boy gently yet firmly led him away. Yukimura gave Yanagi one last glance, and the two shared a look, one which Inui wasn't able to interpret, before the two Rikkai demons walked out of the door.

Only the data masters were left in the room. Yanagi gave a soft groan and shifted on his bed, trying to get comfortable. Inui walked up to his friend and adjusted the blanket. He was concerned at seeing how flushed Yanagi looked, and touched the Rikkai data master's forehead briefly. He withdrew his hand in shock moments later though. What was Yanagi saying about being alright? He was burning up! That was not all right at all.

"Renji…I'm sorry." Inui apologized quietly.

Yanagi glanced over at him. "Don't. Didn't I say it had nothing to do with your drink? I was perfectly fine after I drank it. There is a 56.6 percent chance it didn't agree with my dinner, that is all." It looked like it was taking a lot of effort just to talk, and Yanagi gave up eventually, closing his eyes again.

"It's not your fault, Sadaharu. I'll be fine." The brunette reassured him once he was able to talk again.

Inui felt a twinge at seeing how his friend was suffering. "Aa. Get some rest now, Renji."

"Mm. I should." Yanagi agreed weakly. Inui watched as his friend drifted off to a feverish sleep.

Inui never left his bedside, sitting there watching his one true friend. Yanagi had one hand over his forehead, probably attempting to stop the dizziness even in sleep, while his other hand was thrown carelessly across his stomach. Occasionally, the Rikkai data master gave a pained whimper, the hand across his stomach tightening its hold, as if he were trying to suppress a stomach ache. Inui could only watch, helpless. There was an 84 percent chance Yanagi said all that so that Inui could rest his mind, but Inui wasn't fooled. It was food poisoning. In his foolishness, he had poisoned one of his closest friends.

Inui did not leave until the visiting hours were up. As he stood to leave, he gave his friend one last glance. "I'm sorry, Renji." He muttered.

Upon exiting, he came across the other two Rikkai demons again. Inui calculated only a 15 percent probability that they were going to stay around for that long, and was feeling a slight bit of surprise that they actually did. Yukimura noticed Inui and smiled at him before walking over.

"How is Renji?" The blue-haired boy asked.

Inui kept his face expressionless. "He was sleeping when I left."

Yukimura nodded sagely. "Is that so? That's good then. Rest can help his recovery. It's nice meeting you, Inui-san. I hope to see you again. Goodbye, Genichirou." The two shared a last look before Yukimura turned away and headed over to one of the other wards, just a few doors away from Yanagi's. Inui realized just why Sanada had stayed so long then. Yukimura was probably being treated in this same hospital too.

It was unavoidable for Inui and Sanada to walk together, since they were heading in the same direction, which was towards the exit. On the way there, Inui kept his guard up, remembering Tezuka's favourite phrase. Who knew what Sanada would do without Yukimura to pacify him.

The cap-wearing Rikkai demon was thankfully quiet for most of the way. It was only once they have left the hospital, and Inui was about to head off in an opposite direction when Sanada called him.

"You…just what is your relationship with Yanagi?" He asked.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "I'm an old childhood friend of Renji's." Why was Sanada even asking something as blatantly obvious as that? Inui was pretty sure Yanagi might have mentioned that to Sanada, since the three demons were very close.

Sanada gave him a stare so severe, he would have made Tezuka proud. "Is that all?"

"Yes. That is all. You can't expect us to be anything more than that. We're both males." Inui's mouth went ahead of his mind. He realized his mistake soon enough, for Sanada's expression darkened. "Ah. I meant we're just friends. Nothing more than that."

Sanada frowned at him for a while, turned around and walked off. Before he left, however, he stopped. "Yukimura seems to have heard very highly of you from Yanagi, but I don't share his optimism. If you so much as cause anymore harm to Yanagi, know that I won't hold back the next time." With those parting words, Sanada walked on, not turning back.

Inui shivered. The bond among the three demons was scary. Well, Sanada didn't need to tell him that. He would never let Yanagi drink those Inui juices again anyway.

Casting one last glance in the direction of the hospital, Inui headed for home too.

XXX

Tezuka sighed, noticing that instead of improving, Inui's tennis went from bad to worse. Tezuka was never one to read emotions. No, if emotions were a subject to be tested on, Tezuka would have flunked it beautifully. However, he was an expert at detecting the changes in one's tennis, and Inui's tennis was screaming of complete distraction.

"Enough. Next pair to go to the courts. Fuji, Oishi. You're both up next." Tezuka gave the order. Inui and his opponent were replaced by the aforementioned two. The data master returned to the sides and took one of his drinks, sipping from it expressionlessly.

"Inui, this is the second time you've shown us a disastrous performance. At this rate, you might lose your position as a regular." Tezuka's tone was stern, but there was a tiny hint of concern underlying it.

Inui set his drink back on the bench and sat down heavily, giving a sigh as he did so. After a long while, the data master spoke up again.

"Tezuka."

"Hmm?" Tezuka indicated that he was listening, even as his eyes were completely fixed on the courts.

Inui felt that he must be mad to be consulting _Tezuka_ of all people about this. Oishi would probably be a better listener, but Inui felt that he wasn't in the mood for mollycoddling today. His closest friend was Yanagi, but one other person who might understand him, since they were, in terms of staidness quite similar, was Tezuka.

"What would you do, if you've hurt someone close to you? If you've hurt them very badly?" Inui asked.

A good thing about Tezuka was that he always took things seriously, being the no nonsense type of person he was. Knowing that whatever Inui was talking about was probably the cause of his poor tennis, Tezuka tore his gaze away from the courts, and those light brown eyes were now focused on him instead.

"It depends on what kind of a hurt are you talking about, physical or emotional." It was difficult to imagine Tezuka giving counseling, but Tezuka was one who has read much, and he made up for his lack of human relations with his knowledge instead.

Inui thought about it for a while. "Physical. I poisoned him."

Tezuka remained poker faced, but Inui observed that there was a 2mm twitch at the corner of his lips for 0.5 seconds. Tezuka probably knew that it was Inui's Seigaku-famous inventions that were the cause.

Tezuka thought about it for a while. "What's done is done. There is no point for you to dwell on that any longer. It's what you're going to do in the future that matters." Having stated his point, Tezuka then went back to watching tennis again. "I'm guessing that it has something to do with that friend of yours during camp." The vice-captain said abruptly.

"Aa. That is right. How did you know that anyway?" Inui asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Tezuka turned to him again. "Narita-senpai and Fuji both gave the report on the camp's progress. They have mentioned you running off with your friend for most part of the camp. What is the relationship between the two of you anyway?"

Inui blinked. Two stoic players had asked him the same question. This was certainly not his day. "Friends. Old childhood friends."

"I see." Tezuka dropped the subject, the games catching the tennis freak's interest better than Inui's current dilemma. Inui was grateful for the silence though, as it allowed him to brood. One thing's for sure, Inui would be heading towards the hospital to check on his friend once practice ended.

XXX

This round, the Rikkai crowd before Yanagi's ward wasn't there, much to Inui's relief. The data master rushed over to his friend's room and opened the door. He was instantly greeted by the sight of…

…Yanagi sitting up on his bed, already packed to leave, and having a cup of tea with Yukimura…

_Eh?_

"Sadaharu. How nice of you to drop by. Would you like some?" Yanagi smiled at him, holding out a pack of biscuits.

Inui stared blankly at him for a long while. Wait…where was that suffering-in-pain friend of his and who was this guy? He might need a new prescription for his glasses.

Seeing Inui's reaction, Yanagi chuckled and got off the bed. "Strange, isn't it? I was surprised too when I woke this morning and found the fever and the stomachache gone. Like I said, it was just a bug, but now it's gone. See, Sadaharu. I told you it wasn't your drink."

Relief filled Inui's expression. "That's good." He didn't know what else to say.

Yukimura laughed lightly, while Sanada sat next to Yukimura, avoiding Inui's gaze. He had accused Inui of giving his friend food-poisoning after all, and probably couldn't meet him in the eye now that he was proven wrong.

The blue-haired Rikkai demon smiled at the two data masters. "I was hoping that you'll keep me company in this hospital a little while longer. Zannen." He teased good-humouredly. Yukimura got up and padded over to Yanagi, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm glad that you're well though. Go on. I believe you still owe your friend a match."

Yanagi glanced over. "Are you sure? I could always stay a little while longer…"

Yukimura shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I have Genichirou here. He'll be forced to keep me company. Ne, Gen? Go on ahead, Renji." Again, that shared look. Inui couldn't help wondering if he was missing some kind of message passed between the two. He really didn't like data escaping his notebook.

Inui kept close by his friend, afraid that he might collapse again. "Are you sure you're alright, Renji?" He asked.

"Mm. Of course. I'm still a bit dizzy because of the fever, but that should pass in a while. The doctor has shown me the report. He analyzed the contents of what I had drunk or eaten, which would be your Inui juice, as well as my dinner. No traces of food poisoning." Yanagi informed him.

Inui observed his friend for a while. Yanagi didn't seem like he was lying about that, considering he was looking cheery. He allowed himself to stop worrying. "That's good. Well then, since you're fine, I'll let you pick the courts."

Yanagi nodded. "I know the perfect place. Let's go, Sadaharu. Prepare yourself."

Inui smiled. Yes, it was just like the old days again.

XXX

As mentioned, Tezuka could always sense the change in one's tennis, even if he couldn't sense their emotions. He gave Inui an approving nod as once more, the data master won the game 6-0. "Good work, Inui. Keep it up."

"Arigatou, Tezuka." Inui said brightly.

He hadn't been able to meet Yanagi much, but unlike back when they had lost contact with each other during their elementary schooldays, this time they kept in touch via phone, and occasionally, they would meet up for tennis talk, or to go data gathering. Two data masters were definitely better than one, and they quickly became the terrors of the schools in the whole Kantou region.

Yanagi provided a lot of interesting data in his mails, from Sanada's non-stop phone calls to a certain blue-haired beauty when he thought no one was looking, to a non-regular Marui Bunta who had eaten so many cakes that he was on sugar high and ended up bouncing from one end of the Rikkai courts to another. It was good to have Yanagi back in his life, and Inui looked forward to the day they had to face each other again.

Recently, they did more data collecting than had tennis matches with each other though. Yanagi seemed to get tired very quickly, and Inui frowned, wondering where his friend's stamina had gone to. Once, when they took a break, Yanagi had even fallen asleep on the bench by accident.

Inui was still pondering it over a drink when Yanagi held out a hand. "That's your latest invention, isn't it? I haven't had a taste of your Inui Juices in a month, 3 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes. I wonder what flavour it is this time."

Inui held the bottle out of his reach though. He was not going to take that risk again. The old fear lingered, and in his mind, it was almost as if he could hear his friend collapse again.

Yanagi gave a light snort. "Honestly, Sadaharu. I'm not going to fall sick just because of one drink. Besides, aren't you the guinea pig of that drink first? If it's fine for you it's definitely fine for me."

Inui wasn't able to persist, and before long, he relented, handing the bottle over to Yanagi. Yanagi opened the cap, took a sip…

…and choked.

Inui stared, startled as Yanagi clapped a hand over his mouth and dashed away. Inui went after him and found him throwing up behind one of the bushes.

Inui felt the twinge again. Yanagi had been trying to reassure him that he was fine with the drink, but this proved that he was not. Thanks to the earlier experience, the fear remained in his friend. He had lost the only one who had truly been able to enjoy his drinks.

Yanagi continued to cough, and after a long while, he stood shakily on his feet again. Inui wordlessly offered him a tissue, and after Yanagi wiped his lips, he gave Inui an apologetic smile. "I think this round, the ingredients aren't exactly my favourite. Wood, raw fish…and tobacco."

Inui stared. This was the first time he had ever seen Yanagi get all the ingredients wrong. Yanagi noticed his expression and frowned. "No?"

"E-eh…ah, yes. You've got it all correct." Inui lied, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings.

His behaviour continued to baffle Inui, and one day, Yanagi stopped sending those e-mails. Inui couldn't help getting worried, and for a good few days, his performance went down again (much to Tezuka's displeasure). After some time, the e-mails returned, as if the brief pause had never happened. Yanagi didn't mention anything about the e-mails, and he avoided the subject every time Inui brought it up.

"Inui! 40 laps!" Tezuka barked when Inui made another careless mistake. Was it Inui or was Tezuka assigning him 40 percent more laps recently? Inui could feel the vice-captain's glare drilling a hole into his back, and he went to do his laps without complaint. In fact, Tezuka seemed to be giving him more stern glances recently, and Inui was starting to get unnerved. Tezuka must have been more affected by his performance than he thought.

As the months passed, the day of the Nationals arrived, much to Inui's delight. That joy was short-lived though, as he didn't have the chance to face Yanagi. Apparently his friend was put as a reserve. They didn't manage to send the reserves out, for Seigaku was defeated by Rikkai Dai that year.

As Inui followed his fellow Seigaku regulars to the waiting bus, a familiar voice stopped him. Turning around, he found himself staring at his friend.

"Sadaharu. Is it all right if I walk with you a while? I was thinking of having dinner with you." Yanagi spoke up.

Inui raised an eyebrow. This was rather out of the blue. Then again, if it was Yanagi's request.

"Sure." After passing the word to Tezuka, the two walked off, heading towards one of their favourite restaurants. Throughout the meal, a strange silence fell between the two, which was rare. Somehow, Yanagi wasn't his chirpy self, and by the looks of it, he was deep in thought, playing with his food more than actually eating it.

Inui was the first to break the silence. "It was a good match, Renji. Seigaku has lost this round, but we will return stronger than ever next year. We will not lose to Rikkai Dai another time."

Yanagi smiled at that, seemingly returning to his old self. Inui silently gave himself a pat on the back for being able to bring his friend out of his glum mood. "Rikkai Dai will win 3 years in a row next year." Yanagi threw back the challenge.

Inui gave a light laugh. "I look forward to that challenge. It was a pity you were made reserve though. I had hoped to face you on the courts."

That…was a very, very bad thing to say. An odd expression flashed across Yanagi's face briefly. The Rikkai data master became quiet once more, and this round, the mood between them was so heavy, Inui couldn't even bring up a topic to lighten it.

They left together after the meal. Both walked alongside each other; with the awkwardness back full force. Inui was still deciding what to say when Yanagi broke the silence first. "Sadaharu, I…"

"Hmm?" Inui looked over at him, waiting for him to continue.

Yanagi turned away. "Never mind. It's not important."

They walked on further. Inui interpreted Yanagi's silence as regret for not being able to face Inui too. He glanced at his watch. He had no curfew anyway.

"Renji. Why don't we have a quick match before we head on home? It's to make up for us not being able to play a match just now." Inui spoke up, hoping to get Yanagi's spirits back up.

His friend stopped walking. Inui stopped too, turning around to look at him. "Renji?"

Yanagi's expression was unreadable, though he was biting his lower lip, which was quivering slightly. "Sadaharu…I'm sorry…" Without an explanation, Yanagi took off, leaving Inui behind, stunned.

It was a complete replay of the scene years ago. Yanagi was running from him, Inui was rooted to the spot, too stunned to react.

And just like those years ago, Inui didn't hear from his friend again….

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please**

**-Gwyn86**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 4

It was the last day of practice. As was customary, the captain announced the new captain and vice-captain for the next year.

"For the position of captain, I have appointed Tezuka Kunimitsu to succeed my place. He has shown great leadership during his time as vice-captain, and I have confidence that he will lead the club well. Show him the same support as you have shown me." The captain gave his speech.

There was a round of applause. Tezuka, who was standing next to the captain, gave a slight bow to the club members.

The captain waited for the applause to die down before he continued on. "For the position of vice-captain, Ryusaki-sensei and I have agreed that Oishi Shuichirou is most suitable for this."

"Huh? Me?" A shocked Oishi gaped, even as his doubles partner Kikumaru gave a loud cheer and clapped him on the back. Oishi grinned sheepishly as the club members applauded him. "Are you sure about this? Am I really fit to be vice-captain?" He asked uncertainly.

"You'll be fine, Oishi. Relax, relax." Kikumaru chirped.

"I have calculated an 83 percent chance that you will be selected as vice-captain. Congratulations." Inui breathed down the recently dubbed Golden Pair's neck, causing both of them to give a yelp. Oishi gave Tezuka an apologetic look when the former vice-captain threw a stern gaze in his direction, displeased with the sound.

The newly appointed captain and vice-captain were later asked to give a speech. Tezuka's was strong. He spoke, of course, of the Nationals as Seigaku's goal. Oishi too mentioned the Nationals, though he had not so subtly hinted that he was concerned with the club members' wellbeing, and if anyone was having troubles, they could always talk to him.

Inui smiled slightly as he jotted everything down into his notebook. Everything seemed so normal now. It was as if whatever that happened a month ago was nothing but a dream…

XXX

_Initially, when Yanagi went missing again, Inui had searched high and low for any news of his friend. Just like what had happened a few years back, no one knew of Yanagi's actual location. After doing some scouting in Rikkai Dai, he heard news that his friend had been transferred temporarily to a school in America for a student exchange programme, and had moved out of his dorms completely. Inui verified this data, and found out that the school authorities had indeed received the necessary documents for Yanagi's transfer._

_However, Inui didn't buy the news. There was just something fishy about the whole arrangement. For one, why would there be a student exchange programme scheduled all the way at the end of the year, and secondly, why did it continue on to the following year too? He had yet to come across a student exchange programme covering so many months._

_The first person he confronted was Sanada. If there was anyone who would know of Yanagi's whereabouts, it would be the other two Rikkai demons. Sanada stubbornly gave nothing away, and the argument would have gotten ugly if Yukimura hadn't intervened._

_The blue-haired beauty laid a hand on Sanada's arm, calming him down. After that, the gentler of the two demons turned to Inui with a sympathetic gaze._

"_I'm sorry, Inui-san. Even we have not been in contact with Renji because he's in America now." He said softly._

_Yukimura…was a very bad liar. Either that or he hated lying. After he had said that statement, he couldn't meet Inui in the eye for the rest of the day. Inui had to suppress a bitter laugh at that. If they had been intending to con a data master then Sanada should have done the talking. That guy would have been able to pull it off with his poker face._

_Still, Yukimura probably meant no harm, and was bound by loyalty to his friend. Inui felt bad to push him any further, so he dropped the subject._

XXX

Inui made his way to the clubroom. Most of the members have left by now, and eventually he was the only one who remained. He was seated on the bench, writing into his notebook as he recalled the day's activities.

The door opened again. Tezuka walked in, always being amongst the last to leave since he had to supervise the cleaning up of the courts. The Seigaku captain moved to the shelves and retrieved his school uniform before proceeding to change out of his sportswear.

"Inui. Your tennis is getting monotonous recently." The Seigaku captain remarked.

Inui glanced up from his notebook. A normal person would have just said that Inui looked down recently, but not a tennis freak like Tezuka. That guy was hardly emphatic, so he had to make it up with his strong tennis sense instead.

"Aa. I'm sorry, Tezuka." Inui apologized.

Tezuka said nothing for a while as he buckled his belt. After straightening his collar, the brunette turned around and faced him.

"Concentrate on the matches ahead of you. Even if you brood over it, your friend won't return immediately anyway. He will only be gone for a few months, and will be back once the programme ends." Tezuka's gaze was serious, though according to Inui's calculations, his light brown eyes looked a little sympathetic.

Studying Tezuka's (lack of) expression, Inui wondered if he should correct Tezuka on that. Yanagi most certainly wasn't in another country, and this whole programme was probably a farce too. By the looks of it, Tezuka was completely deceived by this lie.

He decided a little ignorance shouldn't hurt Tezuka, and watched as the brunette left the clubroom. Inui wished he were as gullible as Tezuka. At least then he would be able to take the news as it was, and wait for Yanagi's return just like the others did. A pity though, that data masters were just too perceptive.

XXX

The days passed by, and there was still no news from Yanagi. The idea of the Rikkai data master being in America did sound very convincing now. It was drawing closer to Christmas, and Inui busied himself with data collecting in order to forget about his friend, even if only temporarily. This was Inui's favourite time of the year, since this was the time data was abundant. He prowled the streets to gather information on who was doing what part-time job to buy presents for whom, and he could also gather data on what were the presents bought while he was at it.

It looked like there would be a light snowfall this year. Snow was rare in Tokyo for years, and Inui was glad for the change. He held out a hand as tiny, almost transparent flakes descended from the sky, and he caught a tiny bit of ice, which melted instantly upon contact with his palm. Drawing his jacket tighter around himself, Inui adjusted his glasses and tightened his hold on his notebook. There was no time to waste. To work!

His pen flew as he noted all the couples he came across. He spotted Fuji in one of the chocolate shops, and the non-regular Kawamura Takashi was with him. Fuji seemed to be asking for the latter's opinion on what to buy, and for some reason Kawamura was blushing, probably because Fuji tugged him by the hand over to the chocolates on display. Was that enough to make someone blush? Good data.

In another shop, Inui spotted Momoshiro and Kaidou arguing over a new pair of shoes, but he took no notice of it. This wasn't good data since it was old data. Those two were always fighting anyway. Looking around, Inui decided that he should call it a day and head for home when he spotted Tezuka leaving a bakery. What was surprising was that Hyotei's Atobe was with him. Atobe engaged Tezuka in a one-sided conversation (one-sided in the sense that Atobe was doing all the talking) and while Tezuka didn't seem impressed, he nodded once in a while in response to whatever Atobe was boasting about. The two walked off, heading over to another shop, and Inui would have trailed after them if he hadn't caught sight of Sanada and Yukimura leaving the same bakery too.

Inui instantly switched his target to the Rikkai demons. The two were walking home together, looking like they were on a date. Both were dressed in casual wear. Sanada had, at some point, draped a scarf around Yukimura's neck, and that earned him a smile from the blue-haired boy.

Inui kept them both within hearing range, putting all his scouting skills to use. The two were engrossed in a conversation regarding Yukimura's current condition, and Sanada didn't seem to like the idea of Yukimura walking around in the cold like this.

"You're going to catch a cold in this kind of weather, Yukimura. It's not good for your health." Sanada's voice was stern, though his words were similar to the motherhen Oishi's.

Yukimura chuckled. "I'll be alright, Genichirou. I'm stronger than I look."

Sanada frowned. "I'll still worry." He muttered almost quietly.

Yukimura touched his arm lightly. "Sorry to trouble you."

The two continued walking on in silence for a while. Yukimura broke the silence with a soft sigh. "I had just wanted to go see Renji. It's almost Christmas now and I thought it might be a good idea to pop by and give him something. He seems so lonely."

"Aa. Yanagi does seem to be in rather low spirits." Sanada agreed.

Inui's heart thumped. His intuition was correct. These two had kept in contact with Yanagi all along! He followed them more closely now.

"I wish there was more we could do for him." Yukimura sighed again.

Sanada frowned slightly. "He has made this decision to remain on his own…no. It's more accurate to say that he didn't have a choice."

Yukimura's eyes were sad. "I understand that feeling all too well, being forced to stay put at one place while everyone else can do their favourite activities. It's torture…"

Sanada's hand moved instantly, hesitating for a while before grasping Yukimura's hand in a reassuring manner.

Yukimura gave him a smile before leaning in to the touch. For the rest of the journey, they did not speak, as they walked in companionable silence.

XXX

Eventually, the two stopped before a double-storey house. Inui observed as the two knocked before entering. Once they had disappeared inside and closed the door, Inui inched over and pressed his ear to the door, eavesdropping on any conversation inside.

"We're here. Where do we put all these?" Yukimura's voice could be heard.

"Maybe just leave it there, Yukimura." Sanada's voice was next.

"Aa. Just leave it on that table there, Seiichi." A very familiar voice agreed, causing Inui's heart to leap at being able to hear it again.

There was a moment of silence, about 6.8 seconds, to be exact.

"Thank you all for coming all the way here." Yanagi sounded happy.

"It was no trouble. How are you coping, Renji?" Yukimura asked.

"I'm well, thank you for your concern." There were a few clinks at this point. Yanagi was probably serving tea.

The three demons were soon engrossed in conversation. Sanada spoke of Rikkai, and that Yukimura and him were chosen as captain and vice-captain respectively for the next year. Yukimura narrated their Christmas shopping trip, and Yanagi listened, barely giving any input of his own. When he did, he spoke of studies, like he was still schooling when everyone else was already having their holidays. How odd…

While the three were preoccupied, Inui tested the door and found it unlocked. Sanada must have forgotten about it. Satisfied with the discovery, Inui listened on to the conversation.

"How is the little one doing now?" Yukimura asked abruptly.

Yanagi chuckled. "The little one is fine. Oh, and it's starting to kick now. Would you like to feel it?"

Inui frowned. What were they talking about? A rabbit? He visualized Yanagi holding up a bunny for Yukimura to pat it.

"Oh! It is kicking!" Yukimura sounded a little excited. So two of the three demons were rabbit lovers, it seemed.

"Do you have a name for it?" Sanada sounded 5 percent less stern than usual. So all three of the Rikkai demons were rabbit lovers.

"No. It's too early for that." A short pause. "I don't know if I want to be the one to give it a name." Yanagi sounded sad.

Inui frowned. That was a lot of fuss to make over one bunny. How difficult was it to give it a name? Just call it Carrot or something and the problem was solved.

"Don't worry, Yanagi. No matter what it is, the two of us will be here for you." Sanada told him.

"Don't forget the other two too. You are not alone." Yukimura added.

_The other two?_

"Arigatou, Seiichi, Genichirou. I'm very fortunate to have friends like you." Yanagi sounded a little touched. He gave a sigh. "I do wish Sadaharu were here too though."

Inui decided that he had heard enough. Opening the door, he made his presence known.

"Then why did you leave in the first place?" Inui asked quietly.

All three Rikkai demons were startled. Sanada and Yukimura leapt instantly to their feet, blocking Yanagi from Inui's view.

Yanagi's eyes opened from where he sat behind Sanada. "Sadaharu! What-"

"I'm calculating a 100 percent chance you're wondering what I'm doing here. I could ask you the same thing, Renji." Inui's voice was cold.

He studied the scene before him. There were only the three Rikkai demons, a tea set, and some biscuits which Yukimura had brought. There were no rabbits in sight. There was nothing here which would give Inui a clue as to why Yanagi had left so abruptly, and why the two Rikkai demons would lie to keep Inui away from his friend. Inui hated being confused, since it always got him frustrated. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now!

To add to his confusion, he heard voices approaching.

"Really. You should be awed by my humbleness. Ore-sama doesn't usually do house-visits on peasants." Footsteps could be heard. "Oh, the door's open?"

"Sanada must have gotten careless." A second voice added thoughtfully. This voice made Inui's eyes widen. It couldn't be him!

Moments later, the door swung open, and the two newcomers stood frozen in the doorway when they saw Inui.

"Tezuka…and Hyotei's Atobe…" Inui's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Inui…what are you doing here?" Tezuka was shocked, and while his expression hardly changed, his eyes had widened slightly.

Atobe, on the other hand, turned to Sanada. "What is he doing here?" The Hyotei's vice-captain asked, as if Inui's being here was somehow Sanada's fault.

Several things happened all at once. Sanada lunged at Inui, trying to remove him bodily from the room. Tezuka moved instantly and positioned himself before his fellow Seigaku regular, blocking Sanada. Yukimura grabbed Sanada's hand, holding him back and asking him to stop. Yanagi had stood up and placed a hand on Sanada's shoulder, in a gesture meant both to hold Sanada back as well as to pacify him. As for Atobe…he merely took a few steps back and watched the action without getting involved.

Amidst the chaos, Inui's gaze once more went to his friend…and moved downwards instantly.

Inui stiffened, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He couldn't possibly be seeing what he was seeing now.

Yanagi looked very different from when they last met. Inui recalled back then, right before Yanagi ran away, he had looked rather slender. Now, however, Yanagi looked like he had swallowed a melon, with his midsection protruding slightly under the loose clothing he wore. Inui hadn't noticed it when he was seated, but it was quite obvious now that he was standing. Inui's mind instantly tried to come up with a logical reason as to why Yanagi was in this condition. There must be an explanation for this! Yanagi must have been putting on weight in the short amount of time Inui hadn't seen him. Yes! That must be it! Inui preferred the term 'fat' to its alternative, for that was completely unthinkable! Definitely not to describe Yanagi or any member of his gender!

Inui continued to gape at his friend, completely baffled. Yanagi met his gaze evenly, his demeanor calm. There was a hint of resignation in his body language, as if he was already expecting a confrontation between them like this eventually.

"Minna, I wish to have a word with Sadaharu." Yanagi spoke up quietly.

Sanada exploded. "I refuse! There is no way I'm leaving you alone with this guy." He was stopped by Yukimura before he could lunge at Inui again.

Tezuka walked over to them. "Let them discuss this. We have hidden this from Inui long enough, and he has the right to know what's going on. After all, they're…friends." The brunette then turned to Inui. "10 minutes. We will be returning after that time. Understood?" Having said that, Tezuka walked out of the house. Atobe followed moments later, giving Inui a neutral look. Sanada had been reluctant to leave, though Yukimura guided him out with a hand on his shoulder. The blue-haired boy exchanged another brief look with Yanagi before leaving.

Before long, only the two data masters remained in the room.

Yanagi began to shift his weight from foot to foot. He seemed to be thinking of how to begin. After a while, Yanagi gestured to a chair. "You might want to sit down first, Sadaharu."

To be continued…

**A/N: Before I leave. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!**

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please**

**-Gwyn86**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 5

Yanagi sat by the window, looking out at the streets. It was snowing, the tiny white flakes falling quietly from the sky. The scene reflected his mood perfectly, for it was such a lonely sight.

The brunette sighed, leaning against the backrest of his chair. His hand rested on the swell of his abdominal area, and from time to time, he could feel a very tiny flutter beneath his fingertips, as delicate as the wings of a butterfly, yet strong enough to remind Yanagi of its presence. He smiled slightly at the movement. His unborn companion was the only one who made the loneliness bearable at the moment.

He was used to silence in this house, having taken residence here for over a month already. Everyone left hours ago, and Yanagi was left to his own thoughts.

Inui had taken the news better than he had predicted. Yanagi initially calculated a high probability of him freaking out, or going into denial even before Yanagi had even associated him with the current situation, but the Seigaku data master's reaction was something out of Yanagi's calculation.

Simply put, there was no reaction from Inui at all. He was completely stunned into silence, with his mouth hanging open by about 2cm. Yanagi couldn't really blame him. After all, it wasn't every day one could hear that one's long lost _male_ friend was in such a condition. That had been why Yanagi had left in the first place. He didn't want Inui to see him like this.

Yanagi hadn't been very thorough in his explanation during their _talk_ earlier on. He gave only the technical details of what had happened during their separation, and he gave a rough summary instead of the full text. He decided that Inui had been scarred enough for the day. Any more details and his poor friend might suffer from data overload.

The few things Yanagi was willing to disclose to Inui was that he was in a position no other male had the fortune…or misfortune of getting into, and that Sanada, Yukimura, Tezuka and Atobe knew of his condition.

Even though Yanagi had barely mentioned anything, Inui had walked off almost zombie-like when it was time for the four to leave, and Tezuka had to lead the data master (who had a permanent look of shock etched on his face) out of the house.

Yanagi opened his eyes. He could remember that his reaction two months ago had been similar to Inui's. Had time really passed that fast?

XXX

"_-agi-san? Yanagi-san?"_

_Something pungent invaded his senses, and Yanagi's eyes flew open immediately. He found himself lying on his side, on a couch, and for a moment he was disoriented, wondering where he was and what he was doing here._

"_Wha-" Yanagi sat up, holding his head as a wave of dizziness hit him. He couldn't really come up with a proper sentence, being too confused and too dizzy to do so._

"_You passed out. Do you remember what happened before this?" A man in a doctor's coat asked._

_The memories returned swiftly, and Yanagi's eyes opened when he remembered his reason for being in this clinic. Slowly, his hand moved to retrieve a medical report from the table, which contained the results of his checkup. His hands shook as he reread the words in bold print._

_**Yanagi Renji…Age 14…Male…Pregnant…**_

_He should have noticed the signs sooner-the dizzy spells, the nausea, the fatigue. He had been having all those symptoms after the strange bout of fever three months ago, but he passed it off as a cold. He kept quiet about the whole thing, being a person who rarely complained about his discomfort. None of his close circle of friends knew anything, since he didn't think it was necessary to bother any of them with something as trivial as a simple cold. It would come and go, he told himself._

_Then came the physical changes. By now, the warning bells were starting to blare. Yanagi noticed that he had acquired a small bump around his abdominal area, and wondered if he was putting on weight. He had been neglecting practice ever since the fatigue set in, and he had to admit that he was having an increased appetite. But considering the amount of throwing up he did, shouldn't he be losing weight instead of gaining it? The cold didn't seem to be getting any better either, and Yanagi finally decided that he should consult a doctor just in case._

_And that was how he found himself in his current situation._

_The explosion was inevitable. "How is that possible? I'm a guy!" Yanagi demanded. He rarely lost his cool, but one usually wouldn't be calm to hear of news like that._

_The doctor gave him a patient look, as if already used to people giving the same kind of protests. "Yes. It is medically impossible, but it doesn't change what it says on your report. You have acquired the parts to carry a child to term, and from the ultrasound, I'd say you're about 3 months along. That is when you begin to show." The doctor explained calmly._

_Yanagi sat down again, not trusting his feet to keep him standing. Three months…Yanagi made a mental calculation. When would that be…somewhere during the junior senbatsu camp, he believed. He most certainly didn't do 'anything' which would get him in this current situation!_

_The doctor had given Yanagi a short talk on his immediate options. Keep the child, or get rid of it. The second option had sounded rather tempting, since Yanagi was only 14. How on earth would he be able to raise a child? He was financially and emotionally unready. Also, if he chose to keep it, there was no way he could participate in the Nationals. He would also have to quit school._

_He touched his stomach lightly. An abortion. He once read up on what the procedure was like, and he should just run it through in his head to refresh his memory. He took a few minutes even as he reread the book in his head, then paled and shuddered. He wanted to have his normal life back…but at the same time doing that to the child in him…he wasn't raised to be that kind of person. Yanagi disliked the idea of killing something before it had a chance to breathe. That wasn't the only reason though. Another part of him, the data seeking part, was curious as to what kind of data the experience could give him. This wouldn't happen often, and when Yanagi could ever find out what was the cause, he would make sure it'd never happen again. He wanted to keep a record of what was going to become of this. He gave the doctor his decision. He was keeping the child. For now._

_The doctor gave Yanagi some vitamins for his pregnancy, and after that, Yanagi found himself on his own again, forced to mature beyond his teenage years because of the new role placed on his shoulders. When he returned to the Rikkai dorms, Yanagi lay on his bed, quite overwhelmed by everything. He'd be giving false data if he said that he wasn't the slightest bit frightened, of course, as this was new territory, and even he wasn't too sure if he had made the right choice. _

_A sudden thought came to his mind. How had his pregnancy come about? It couldn't be 'that', could it? He got off his bed and walked over to a drawer, opening it and flipping through the contents before he found what he was looking for- The report on the 'food poisoning' case a few months back. Reading through it quickly, Yanagi found his answer._

_Yanagi returned to his bed, mentally wanting to strangle his friend for putting him in this position. The other guy probably didn't know. Yanagi had heard the confusion in his voice when he was told that there was an ingredient Yanagi couldn't guess. Now then, with the question on how the pregnancy had come about solved, now Yanagi had to focus on what he was going to do in the future. One thing was for sure. Now that he knew of the child's parentage, he was determined to keep it…_

XXX

_The first thing Yanagi did was to quit the tennis club. He surprised the captain and vice-captain, of course, and Yanagi had forgotten what kind of cock and bull story he had made up. The captain hadn't processed his resignation request immediately, and instead asked Yanagi to go back and consider it first. He was a valuable asset to the club, and they didn't want to lose him._

_He wasn't surprised that the news of him trying to quit the club had spread like wildfire, and the next day, Sanada had barged into his room before seizing him by the collar._

"_Yanagi! What is the meaning of this? How could you be so reckless?" Sanada was livid._

_Yanagi met his gaze calmly, already calculating a 67 percent chance that Sanada would confront him about this. His hand, by instinct, went protectively around his stomach area. _

"_I'm sorry, Genichirou. I have to quit the tennis club. The reasons are personal." _

_No matter how Sanada raged, Yanagi wouldn't spill his secret, and the cap-wearing boy eventually left in disgust. Yanagi realized that he had probably lost his friend, and that day, he cried himself to sleep. There was a 58 percent chance the hormones were to be blamed for this action._

_Apparently Yanagi had underestimated the power of friendship, for the following day, Sanada returned once more, and this time Yukimura was with him. The blue-haired boy must have heard of what Yanagi was trying to do from Sanada, and he had, not surprisingly, tried to talk Yanagi out of it. _

_Between Sanada and Yukimura, Yanagi was closer to the latter, and he had a hard time trying to keep this from the blue-haired boy. Sanada had used the harsh approach in trying to get Yanagi to tell him, but that had only made Yanagi defensive. Yukimura, on the other hand, used the soft approach, speaking to him gently and reassuring him that whatever his reasons were, the two of them were ready to listen, and help him if they could. Yanagi eventually caved in, telling them everything he had learnt so far (though he did not disclose the cause of the pregnancy)._

_Both Sanada and Yukimura gaped at him. "You can't be serious…" Sanada spoke up after a while. _

_Yanagi smiled sadly. "I wish I weren't." He unzipped his regular's jersey, which was what Yanagi had been hiding his growing secret with. Revealing the slight bump, which was starting to show even beneath the shirt he was wearing, Yanagi watched their reactions closely. Sanada, the more stoic of the two, had to sit down immediately as he looked like someone had clobbered him in the face with a frying pan. Yukimura, the gentler of the two, on the other hand, showed the true strength he had within him, as he took the news pretty calmly. He sat next to Yanagi, taking his hands and holding on firmly._

"_Having known your character long enough…You're keeping it, aren't you?" Yukimura asked. Yanagi gave a nod to that._

_The blue-haired boy's eyes were determined. "We will help you to the best we can. You are not alone."_

_XXX_

_The burden was more bearable when it was shared amongst the three of them. All three knew they had to act quickly, since time wouldn't wait for them. Yanagi was over three months pregnant, and the swelling would increase at a rapid pace beyond that time._

_Yanagi was grateful that he was living in the dorms instead of at home. He shuddered to think of what his parents might say to this. Their son wasn't supposed to be carrying a child. That was his sister's job, not his. By living in the dorms, he had more freedom to plan his next step._

_Secondly, the three agreed that it would seem suspicious if Yanagi had quit the club so abruptly. Instead, Yukimura suggested that Yanagi should remain in the club, but his practices would have to be kept to minimal. The three came up with excuses to worm Yanagi out of practice, and whenever there was any, Sanada would be his practice partner, and the cap-wearing boy would know to hit the shots carefully, so that Yanagi wouldn't have to run around so much._

_Still, there were only so many excuses one could come up with. The three rushed against time to find a way for Yanagi to conceal his pregnancy and have his child in peace. Yukimura came up with the idea that Yanagi had to go into hiding. Sanada then mentioned the financial aspects of the idea, and eventually, all three of them came up with the same conclusion._

_They were short of money, and if they were to get any possible financial aid, one person came to mind immediately._

_Hyotei's vice-captain, Atobe Keigo._

_The next problem came. They needed Atobe's help, but they were hardly friends with the guy, so they couldn't ask him directly. Another option was that they could make a formal request, but while the three had their fame as the Rikkai demons, position-wise, they were nobodies, since none of them held any administrative post in the club._

_They needed someone of equal or higher standing as Atobe to make a formal request like that._

_And that was how Tezuka Kunimitsu, vice-captain of Seigaku, got dragged into this secret as well. _

_Sanada had once broached the subject of Yanagi's child's parentage. He wished to know who the father was. Yanagi had shaken his head at that, refusing to disclose that information, but Sanada had gone ahead and assumed that it was Seigaku's Inui. Because of that, he decided that it would be quite reasonable if they held Seigaku's vice-captain's Tezuka responsible too, since all these happened because of one of his regulars' folly. Both Yanagi and Yukimura had given him a skeptical stare at that, but Sanada went ahead with his plan anyway._

_He confronted Tezuka when the stoic brunette vice-captain left the school gates. After setting a time and venue, Tezuka met up with them and learnt of the situation. The human wooden block seemed unfazed by the news, as if they had been talking about no more than schoolwork. The Seigaku vice-captain then did something completely out of Yanagi's calculation. He had stood up, turned to Yanagi and given a profound bow. "I apologize for my teammate's folly. It was most disgraceful, and I will see to it that he is punished."_

_Yanagi's eyes went wide. So Sanada had been right in thinking that Tezuka would feel responsible towards this. It took a wooden block to really understand another. Yanagi shook his head. "It's not Sadaharu's fault. Ah, speaking of Sadaharu, I need a favour from all of you. Please do not mention any of this to him. I don't want him to know."_

_Everyone had seemed surprised by Yanagi's request. Yukimura had even asked him about it. Yanagi bit his lip, but nodded his head all the same. He didn't want Inui to feel guilty for giving him that Inui Juice as a parting gift. The Seigaku data master hadn't known that it would produce such results._

_Tezuka made a formal request to Atobe, and the reply came several days later. Tezuka informed the three Rikkai demons that Atobe had kindly welcomed them to his mansion, where they would discuss this further._

_No sooner had they arrived when Atobe met them in his study, and he gave his reply immediately._

"_I refuse." _

_The four were disappointed by Atobe's reply (or more like Yukimura looked disappointed, Yanagi was expressionless, and both Sanada and Tezuka were downright statues). Atobe sat on one of his elegant couches and he took a sip of juice from a glass slowly before speaking once more._

"_Your current situation has nothing to do with ore-sama, so I refuse. I am not your friend, not your family, and not your vice-captain. Ore-sama has no obligations whatsoever to help you." He stated bluntly._

_Sanada and Atobe promptly started another round of argument. Yukimura held Yanagi's hands, and Tezuka joined Sanada and Atobe, though he played both peacemaker as well as negotiator (not a very effective one considering he hardly spoke up)._

_Seeing that Atobe had his mind made up, Yanagi knew that they were fighting a losing war, and he gave a sigh before turning around. "It's all right, Genichirou. We'll just have to find some other way."_

_The four made to leave, and just when they were about to walk out of the study, Atobe spoke again._

"_However, I am feeling pretty generous today, so ore-sama might consider your request after all." He announced abruptly._

_The four turned around again. "You might?" Yanagi sounded hopeful._

"_Aa. On one condition…one of you will have to play a match against ore-sama first. If you win, only then will I listen to your pitiful suggestion. Be awed by my generosity." He gloated._

_Tezuka was out of the question, since his arm was still injured. Sanada had recently injured his knees while learning a new skill, so he was out too. As for Yukimura…_

"_I'll do it." The blue-haired player said, his voice determined._

"_You can't, Seiichi. You're not well!" Yanagi was the first to protest. _

"_That's right, Yukimura. I'll go. My legs are fine." Sanada tried to stop the blue-haired player from playing. _

_Yukimura shook his head and walked over to Atobe. "One set match. Is that fine with you?"_

"_Aa. Ore-sama had wanted to play against you for quite some time anyway. The courts are this way." Atobe led the way, and Yukimura followed, with the two demons protesting behind him._

_Yukimura held the title of the strongest junior high tennis player, and by the looks of it, he wouldn't be relinquishing that title anytime soon. Even though he was ill, he could still manage to beat Atobe. Bound by his word, Atobe really did listen to their suggestion. Somehow the situation caught his interest, and he decided to 'generously' sponsor the plan._

_The first thing he did was to have Yanagi transferred out of school, producing "genuine" documents for a certain non-existent student exchange programme. Money talked anyway. He bought over a double-storey house, and assigned a private tutor for Yanagi to be home-schooled instead. Also, a doctor would check on Yanagi's progress once in a while, since Yanagi's pregnancy might have complications in the future. _

_Yanagi was to remain in the house at all times, and the other two Rikkai demons took it upon themselves to drop by a few days every week to check on him. He was in a delicate condition, so they couldn't possibly leave him alone. Tezuka too had dropped by, feeling responsible for this. Yanagi couldn't help wondering that if Tezuka had a sense of responsibility this strong as vice-captain, what was going to happen when he became captain? Atobe dropped by once every two weeks, but as he put it, he wasn't there for a visit. He was only there to check on his property for any signs of damages._

_Keeping to the lifestyle of a hermit, Yanagi quietly bided his time, awaiting the birth of his child._

XXX

Yanagi realized that he must have dozed off on his chair, not a very good thing to do at 5 months along. He was halfway through the second trimester, and sleeping in a chair was the best way to guarantee him a backache.

He massaged his lower back with his fingers, trying to ease out some of the knots in his back muscles. Moving instead to the bedroom, Yanagi washed up before deciding to retire early for the night. Lying down, Yanagi closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take his senses. His hand moved to his stomach, rubbing soothing circles against it, lulled to sleep by the soft, gentle kicks within.

XXX

Inui…was looking quite like a fool.

The Seigaku data master sat on one of the benches, with his jaw hanging open slightly. An insect could easily make a home in his mouth and he probably wouldn't have noticed it.

His friend, his dear friend Renji…was pregnant…and five months along at that. Was that even possible? If he hadn't seen the proof he wouldn't have believed it, but even after he had seen the proof, his mind was trying to shut the image out before his brain crashed on him.

Inui could understand why Yanagi had gone into hiding, but he didn't understand why Yanagi would hide his condition from him? In fact, he had approached his Rikkai friends, Tezuka…and even that Atobe for help, but he hadn't so much as breathed even a hint of his pregnancy to Inui. Somehow Inui felt a twinge of hurt at that, along with a slight sense of betrayal. Weren't they supposed to be friends, or was that only on Inui's list?

Inui continued sitting there, brooding on it. He vaguely heard someone sit next to him.

"Close your jaw, Inui. You're eating snow." Tezuka chided sternly.

Tezuka had, for once, been perceptive enough to know the confusion going on in Inui's mind, and the brunette handed him a warm can of coffee. Inui gave a word of thanks and took it.

Seeing Tezuka, Inui felt that sense of betrayal getting stronger. He had thought that Tezuka was the oblivious one, but apparently he was the one who knew nothing. "Why didn't you say anything, Tezuka." Inui grumbled unhappily.

Tezuka's expressionless face was turned to him. "I have given my word to Yanagi Renji that I will mention nothing about his condition. I leave that decision to him, and if he chose not to disclose it outside the four who knew about it, I respect that decision and I will do the same. He must have his own reasons for keeping you from this knowledge." Tezuka stated calmly, working on the lid of his own can of drink as he spoke.

Inui sighed. "Why had he kept it from me?" He wondered aloud.

Tezuka paused, his can held inches away from his face. "I do not know." He took a sip before lowering the can. "After I found out about it, I was highly tempted to assign you laps right away, but that would have made you suspicious."

Inui gave a weak laugh. "T-thank you for being so considerate and sparing me…" He thought about it a while. Actually, hadn't Tezuka increased his laps during practice? Inui should have noticed something strange about it since then. Also…what did Yanagi's condition have anything to do with him?

Tezuka placed his can on the bench. "Well, now that you know about this as well, then I don't have to keep quiet about it anymore."

To Inui's complete horror, the traditional, incredibly old-fashioned captain then made him sit down and proceeded to give him a one and a half hour lecture on why one shouldn't knock up one's partner when one was still schooling, as that might result in a baby and a whole load of other responsibilities. Tezuka spoke of the ethical and moral aspects, as well as the biological aspects of it, even going so far as to speak of the poor unborn kid's future. The poor data master zoned out after the first few minutes, retreating to his safe haven inside his mind to protect what was left of his sanity. He had never known that Tezuka could actually talk about the birds and the bees like that, and was too stunned to even be able to take notes. He knew one thing for sure. He wouldn't be able to look at Tezuka the same way again. Ever.

That talk, however, got Inui thinking about something. He had been having a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something very important about all these since his confused mind was not in full working condition, and for a long while he couldn't put his finger on what it was. After that talk, Inui realized just what it was he had been forgetting.

It took two to bring a baby into existence, and Yanagi was one parent for this case, so that left one more.

_Just who was the baby's father?_

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 6

Now that Inui was in on the secret as well, he too would pay Yanagi visits whenever he could make it, and the Seigaku data master went frequently, glad to be reunited with his friend once more.

Tezuka left it to him to check on Yanagi in his stead, concentrating instead on his upcoming duties as captain when the next school term began. Inui didn't mind the arrangement, since that meant he could spend more time with his friend.

Inui saw no signs of the 'depression' Sanada and Yukimura had spoken of. Every time he visited, Yanagi looked to be perfectly happy, his smile and cheery mood ever present. For each visit, he would fill his friend in on the data he had collected. It must be pretty boring to stay cooped up in this house, unable to leave, and he was trying to make life at least a little bit more interesting for his friend.

Usually, whenever Inui dropped by, Sanada would drop by too, and Yukimura would tag along for damage control. It was no secret that the stoic future vice-captain of Rikkai Dai and the data master of Seigaku disliked each other. Sanada blamed Inui for Yanagi's current condition, and Inui was still uncomfortable with the fact that Sanada and Yanagi seemed so close.

Speaking of which, Inui didn't quite know when to ask the question which had been nagging at the back of his head for days. He wanted to know who fathered Yanagi's child. At the same time…he didn't want to know. He had a rough estimation of all the potential culprits. He just needed confirmation. He was quite baffled by this, wondering why this particularly elusive data was bothering him so much. It shouldn't be his business whoever the father was.

On Christmas day, all five of them (Atobe included) paid Yanagi a visit.

"Merry Christmas!" Yukimura greeted happily at the door.

Yanagi smiled, looking glad to see them. "Come on in. It looks cold out there." Yanagi allowed his friends to enter. Sanada had brushed some snow off Yukimura and himself before walking in. Tezuka gave Yanagi a curt nod, while Atobe smirked. Inui was the last to arrive, and Yanagi beamed at the sight of him.

"Sadaharu! You're 12 minutes and 4 seconds slower than the rest. The others are already here." Yanagi greeted him warmly.

Inui took off his coat upon entering the house. He threw Yanagi an apologetic look. "Aa, I'm sorry. I was trying to collect data on Rikkai Dai's Niou-san and Yagyuu-san."

"What about them?" Sanada demanded, instantly alert at hearing his fellow tennis club members' names.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "They were going Christmas shopping. That is all."

It was a good thing Sanada was then distracted by Yukimura offering him a tray of biscuits, and Inui lowered his voice, so that only Yanagi could hear him. "They had also made a pit stop at the alley for about 10 minutes. I have recorded the whole thing, if you're interested."

Yanagi's eyes were filled with mirth. "That is interesting data indeed, Sadaharu. We'll watch it when we're alone then. There is a 34 percent probability that Genichirou will not be too amused."

"Aa." Inui agreed. Yanagi took his coat from him and hung it on the rack. After that, both data masters joined the others in the living room.

They had a Christmas dinner together, all making sure that Yanagi enjoyed himself since he was deprived from human contact most of the time. Yanagi looked to be in high spirits, chuckling at a few jokes Yukimura cooked up. By the end of the dinner, all of them were left to their own devices. When Yanagi wanted to wash the dishes, Yukimura had beaten him to it, though Sanada had beaten Yukimura to it and in the end, the cap wearing vice-captain-to-be was the one washing all the dishes.

The rest remained in the living room. Atobe had challenged Tezuka to a game of poker, and both were dueling it out with their cards (there was no way Atobe could win Tezuka when it came to this game, of course). Yukimura and Yanagi were unwrapping presents, and Inui collected data on what everyone had gotten.

He glanced up and noticed the look of happiness on Yanagi's face every time Yukimura showed him what he had gotten. Yanagi had a gentle smile on his face, not too small, and not too wide, yet beautiful enough to make his whole face look absolutely radiant.

Wait a minute. _Beautiful_? Did Inui actually just associate that with a guy? Something must be very wrong with him…

He tried to distract himself with data collecting. Both Sanada and Yukimura had pooled their allowance and bought Yanagi a whole load of tonics and health supplements, Tezuka had bought him a video (for the Grand Slam's tournaments), Atobe had bought him a video game set and an ipod (easily the most expensive items there). When it came to the presents Inui bought, Yukimura had excused himself to check on Sanada, so Yanagi was the one to open them.

Yanagi looked up and noticed Inui staring. "Sadaharu. Why are you sitting so far away for? Come sit here." Yanagi patted a spot next to him.

Inui obeyed, sitting next to Yanagi. When Yanagi reached out for a present, his hands brushed against Inui's briefly, sending a tingle through the Seigaku data master's hand. Inui stared down at his hand, wondering if Yanagi had touched something of high static just now, and was now passing that static over to him unintentionally.

"I look forward to seeing what you've brought, Sadaharu. Just for this occasion, I'll put my data to rest." Yanagi's voice was calm, though Inui thought he sounded 3 percent more excited than usual.

Inui's face flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Well…I do not have concrete data on what to get you, so I've just compiled some items I am confident that you have a 59 percent chance of liking."

Yanagi opened the first box and took out a few books. From Inui's data, he knew that Yanagi loved reading, and he bought a few books with the hopes that it could keep Yanagi entertained during his stay here.

Yanagi seemed happy. "Thank you, Sadaharu. How did you know I like the science fiction genre?"

Inui adjusted his glasses. "You look down on my data gathering skills." He pretended to be hurt. Both data masters shared a laugh at that.

Yanagi then took a look at the next item. It was a video. A recording, actually. He cocked his head to one side questioningly.

"You can play it. Renji. I thought it might be useful to you." Inui said, looking sheepish.

Yanagi did, inserting the disc into the video player. His eyes widened slightly when he saw himself on the screen.

"Sadaharu…this is…"

Inui fidgeted. "I've recorded your data during the junior senbatsu camp. I thought it might interest you."

Yanagi's eyes were fixed on his screen self, who was engaged in a rally with Fuji at that time.

"You were watching all along…" Yanagi muttered softly.

"Aa. I stole whatever time I could to record your matches." Inui mused that Yanagi seemed very pleased with the present, and he wondered why. His presents paled in comparison to what the others had given Yanagi. If it was a recording of matches then shouldn't Tezuka's present hold more value, since that was a video of the Grand Slam matches?

Yanagi gave Inui a smile. "Thank you, Sadaharu. This means a lot to me." He ejected the video and kept it in his room before turning to Inui's last present.

Carefully peeling open the wrapping paper, Yanagi uncovered a box, and once he opened that, he took out…

A bear plushie…

Yanagi stared.

Inui turned red. "I've run out of data on what else to bring, so I thought I'd bring something for the little one too." He confessed. He had run out of ideas that day, and that was when the thought of Yanagi's child came to mind. Even though Inui was still upset over the idea that he didn't know who the father was, he thought it might be a nice idea to buy something for the unborn baby.

Now, he was starting to have second thoughts about his 'brilliant' idea, for Yanagi was still staring at the plushie, his expression unreadable.

To Inui's utter horror, while there was no change to the Rikkai data master's expression, his eyes shone 23 percent more than usual. If Inui's data was to be believed, it looked like his friend was actually tearing up.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Renji! It was a terrible present. I'm not mocking you or anything." Inui panicked, mentally scolding himself for being so thoughtless. He did some reading up after finding out about Yanagi's condition, and prided himself to have memorized the book. How could he have forgotten that pregnant people were more emotional, and prone to mood swings? Yanagi must have thought that he was being looked down upon, or treated like a child. "I'll get you a better present." Inui tried to take the plushie away.

Yanagi shook his head, keeping a firm hold on the plushie. "No, Sadaharu. Your present is wonderful. I'm happy. Thank you." He held the plushie to his chest, the gesture so child-like that Inui stared. Yanagi looked almost cute. Inui blinked after that word had crossed his mind, and he mentally shook his head. Something was very, very wrong with him.

Yukimura decided to make his reappearance at that moment, with Sanada behind him. Inui calculated a 96 percent chance that the Rikkai demons had been spying on them all along. Yukimura sat on Yanagi's other side, and the Rikkai data master gave them all a smile. "Thank you, minna. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. I've had a very wonderful Christmas holiday."

"Don't mention it, Renji. I did mention before that you are not alone. Next Christmas, you'll have someone else to celebrate it with too." Yukimura smiled.

Yanagi's hand went to his stomach. "Aa. That's true." He said quietly.

Inui watched Yanagi's expression. As much as it was killing him to know the other parent, he decided he could put the question off for another day. He didn't want to ruin Yanagi's high spirits.

XXX

Inui wasn't able to keep silent for long though. It always bothered him if data evaded him. He stewed on it for a while, and after the next school term had begun, he paid Yanagi a visit again and the question flew out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"Renji. Just who is the father of that baby?" He asked.

Yanagi had been in the process of drinking his tea when Inui asked the question, and he ended up spraying tea all over the table before going into a coughing fit.

Yukimura was by Yanagi's side immediately, patting him on the back. Sanada threw Inui an incredulous look. "What kind of a question is that?" Sanada demanded.

Inui studied Sanada's expression. Even though Sanada was as poker faced as usual, Inui thought he looked a little confused. What was he so confused about?

He then remembered the time Tezuka had given him 'the talk'. That was right…Tezuka had thought that he was the father (though Inui severely questioned Tezuka's sanity if Tezuka thought that a guy could get another guy pregnant). Maybe Sanada thought the same too?

It then struck Inui. Did this mean that Yanagi hadn't told his fellow demons either?

"It's not him?" Sanada pointed at Inui. That confirmed Inui's suspicion. Yanagi hadn't told Sanada. He threw a side-glance at Yukimura. The blue-haired boy didn't have as extreme a reaction as Sanada did, so Yanagi had probably told him.

Yanagi's expression became unreadable. "I do not wish to speak of that." His voice was calm, but there was finality to his tone that made even Sanada drop the subject.

That confirmed another hypothesis for Inui. There was a father-to-be after all, and Yanagi knew who it was. Also, by how Yanagi was remaining secretive, it was probably someone either Sanada or Inui wouldn't like.

Inui stewed over it for another few days, not bringing up the topic because Yanagi was so tight-lipped about it. He was getting rather bothered that there was a father to Yanagi's kid he didn't know about, and he was also getting bothered that he was getting bothered that there was a father to Yanagi's kid. It wasn't any of his business, so why was that twinge ever present in him? Just thinking of the unknown culprit made Inui want to make new Inui Juices and feed them to random passersby.

He didn't think he would want to ask Tezuka about it. He doubted the Seigaku captain would know anything. Also, Tezuka was busy with his new duties, and he hung out with Oishi and Ryusaki-sensei more than he hung out with Yanagi and the other four who knew about Yanagi's secret.

Then again, Sanada and Yukimura's visits had become fewer too, since they were vice-captain and captain of Rikkai Dai. Atobe too hardly dropped by anymore, being busy with his duties as the new Hyotei captain. Only Inui dropped by frequently, having more free time than the others did…well…free if he wasn't data collecting anyway.

Several times, he tried to broach that subject, but Yanagi always shook his head, keeping quiet about it. Inui decided to do some information gathering of his own, trying to find out who the father was since Yanagi refused to spill.

He made a mental calculation. 6 months. That would make it sometime during or after the junior senbatsu camp. He decided to stalk all those who had been to that camp, and by hook or by crook, he had to find out who they were with, and what they had been doing. For a few weeks, he tailed after those involved in the camp, scarring a lot of them for life with his not so subtle blackmails, and in the end, he came up with nothing. None of them had been doing anything 'suspicious' during the duration of the camp or after it.

Once he returned to his room, he plopped himself down on a chair and sighed, reading through his notebook again. He flipped through the pages rapidly, getting incredibly frustrated that none of them would tally with his data. He gave up, closed his book and tossed it onto his study table. It was hopeless. He would never be able to find out whose doing it was.

Suddenly, a name came to his mind. That was right. During the entire duration of the camp, there was one other person Yanagi hung out with frequently. Why hadn't Inui thought of him earlier? After all, he was in Yanagi's close circle of friends, and Yanagi had always spoken of him so highly. He was a fool to not notice it earlier.

Inui left his house immediately, heading over to Yanagi's place. His friend looked delighted by his sudden visit, inviting him into the house instantly. Inui waited until Yanagi had sat down before he looked his friend in the face again.

"Who is the father of that baby, Renji?" He asked again.

As usual, Yanagi's smile disappeared. "I've told you, Sadaharu. I do not wish to speak of that!" Yanagi looked to be in a more irritable mood today, with his hand rubbing his stomach 1.3 times more than usual. Yanagi had mentioned before in a previous visit that the baby was getting more active, and that he could barely get enough sleep anymore thanks to its restless kicking. Maybe his mood was caused by the lack of sleep?

Still, Inui stubbornly wanted his answer that day. "It's Sanada, isn't it?" He asked quietly.

Yanagi flinched as if stung. Inui gave a bitter smile. It looked like he was right after all. Those two weren't just 'friends'.

His friend's eyes opened, the violet orbs piercing through him like a shard of glass. Inui's smile faded. No…that expression was one Yanagi wore if he felt insulted. Did he estimate incorrectly?

"Sadaharu…you dare call yourself a data master…" Yanagi spoke, his voice low and dangerous. Inui gulped. He really made a miscalculation, and by the sounds of it, Yanagi was very, very angry. "Do you think I'd go after Sanada, when he and Yukimura are so hopelessly into each other? I believe I mentioned that my relationship with him is, at most, platonic. Which part of that do you not understand, Sadaharu?" Yanagi demanded. His good-natured friend rarely got so riled up like this, and Inui thought Yanagi could look really scary when he got angry.

The other boy stood abruptly and left the room. He returned sometime later with a parchment. He tossed it onto the table before pointing at it. "Since you insist on being so persistent in knowing, I'll reveal it to you then. That is the cause of my pregnancy. Read it, Sadaharu."

Inui obeyed, not wanting to anger Yanagi any further. He read it and noticed that it was the report of Yanagi's supposedly food poisoning case. There was also the result of the analysis of what he had drunk and eaten, and Inui's eyes widened when he recognized the ingredients. Lemons…seaweed…onions…

"This is…the drink I gave you at the end of the camp…" Inui realized with shock.

Yanagi nodded. "And the last item, the final ingredient which I could not guess that day, was what determined its parentage."

Inui scanned the list. The 21st component of the drink. The one he didn't remember adding in at all.

It was _blood_. Type AB.

"The father…it can't be…it's not possible…" Inui's mind was trying to reject the idea before it shut down on him.

Yanagi gave him a glare. "How many people with blood type AB could have been in contact with that drink at that time? I don't think that's the most common blood group. Or would you like a DNA test once the child is born?"

Inui continued to gape at the piece of paper. He then shifted his gaze to Yanagi's swollen abdomen, then eventually looked up at Yanagi's face.

There was a bitter smile playing on Yanagi's features, and when the Rikkai data master spoke again, his voice was calm.

"Now that you know, I'd have to congratulate you, Inui Sadaharu. You're going to be a father."

Inui stared at him for a while, then fainted dead away on the spot.

XXX

Inui's mouth was hanging open again. This round, even birds could make nests in his mouth and he probably wouldn't even notice it.

His concentration had been bad, resulting in him losing to the first year Echizen Ryoma, and then to the sophomore Kaidou Kaoru, and that got him kicked off the regulars. Being a non-regular had its advantages. At least no one noticed him even if he was sitting like a statue with a dislocated jaw like that.

"Inui. Must you keep doing that?" A rather annoyed voice asked.

Inui glanced up. He hadn't noticed that Tezuka had now moved to stand next to him, and the captain was giving him his trademark stern look.

Tezuka shook his head at him. "I did warn you, Inui. If you do not keep your focus, and if you underestimate your opponent, you may lose your place as a regular."

Inui sighed. "No. That's not it, Tezuka."

Tezuka continued watching the matches for a while, his eyes fixed on the first year prodigy Echizen's match. After a while, he tore his gaze away and stared down at Inui. "Then what is? I don't see anything else that can cause your tennis to become as gloomy as that."

Inui sighed again. "Tezuka. What will you do if you find out you've done something terrible. Something which has affected a close friend's life very badly."

"Apologize, of course." Tezuka didn't miss a beat with his reply.

Inui shook his head. "I don't think an apology will suffice for this case." He gave Tezuka a sad look. "I found out I'm the father of Renji's baby."

Tezuka's expression didn't change. "You've only just noticed that? When a man loves a man or a woman, he…"

"I know! I know! But I'm afraid you're mistaken about something." Inui cut him off hurriedly. He did NOT want to hear Tezuka talk about the facts of life again. His mind wouldn't be able to take it.

"He didn't have the kid the…ah…(un)natural way. I made a drink, he drank it, and he got pregnant." Inui couldn't really form better sentences in his current state of mind, which was still suffering from mild trauma over such shocking news.

Tezuka glanced over. "I see. So you've made your Inui Juice, given it to him and he drank it out of friendship's sake and that somehow got him pregnant. Is that what you're saying?"

Inui nodded. He had really messed up big time this round.

Tezuka's eyes, if anything, became sterner. His glasses glinted as his expression became one which Inui associated as the one Tezuka wore right before he assigned people laps.

Surely enough, to his horror, Tezuka ordered him to sit down…and proceeded to give him a one and a half hour lecture on why one shouldn't give people unknown drinks because that might get that poor victim pregnant. This was then followed on by a recap of the birds and the bees from his previous lecture.

Inui's mind died, though before it did, one thought crossed his mind.

'_Someone…please…kill me now.'_

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 7

Tezuka was in love.

Or at least, Tezuka was falling in love. It was interesting, actually, to see the Seigaku captain so smitten, and the guy himself was probably unaware of it. A certain Seigaku first year prodigy was running way fewer laps than he actually deserved, and Tezuka just couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the cap-wearing freshman's matches. It was comical, actually, to see Tezuka looking so confused with the feelings and seemingly trying to pass it off as 'his duty as captain to look after the freshman's welfare'. It was very good data.

Inui scribbled into his notebook as Tezuka's gaze followed Echizen again. Well, Inui was incredibly perceptive towards other people's relationships. Now then, what should he do about his own, if he could even consider it that.

Yanagi hadn't spoken to him ever since that incident. It might be partially because Inui had avoided him after that day though. Inui had acted like a complete jerk towards Yanagi, making demands because he was jealous, and that was why he didn't dare to see Yanagi face to face again.

Jealous…yes…that was the only word he could put to the twinge he felt that time, although jealous at what, and why was he jealous, he couldn't put a finger on that. That twinge was gone now, replaced by a whole load of confused thoughts and feelings which he had filed to the back of his mind for further reference (and also to protect his sanity). He hadn't dared to approach Yanagi yet, not even for an apology, because he didn't quite know what he could say to mend their friendship.

Inui sighed. Friendship…he wondered if he still had that with Yanagi. However, aside from friendship, there was something else more important.

His one true friend was going to have a child. _His_ child. By the traditional saying, if a man loved a woman, he would marry her and they would conceive a child after intercourse.

There were several fallacies in this. For one, Inui most certainly hadn't 'knocked up' Yanagi…and he didn't even want to think about it (he was very certain he wasn't gay). Yanagi was no woman (and Inui was not gay). They were not married…another thing he wouldn't think about. (Was it even possible? Filed away for further reference, and he was not gay.). Also, Inui didn't love Yanagi. (Because he was not gay!)

He paused on the last thought. On second thought, he did love Yanagi, but only as a friend. Yanagi was one of his first, true friends, and was the only one to approach him when everyone else shied away. So it was only natural if he did have some emotional attachment to him. Right?

Inui sighed. Somehow, with him avoiding Yanagi, his routine seemed to be completely off. He tried to preoccupy himself with data collecting, but it was half-hearted. He missed heading over to his friend's place. He missed chatting about data with his friend, who, despite being cooped up in that house for months, had incredible insight and could somehow piece together some of the data Inui collected and come up with conclusions even Inui hadn't thought of. No wonder Yanagi was the original data master.

Inui sighed again, tapping his notebook lightly against his head as if to soothe a light headache (either that or he was considering suicide by bashing his head against his green notebook). How would he ever make it up to Yanagi again?

"Inui-san?" A familiar voice addressed him.

Inui looked up. He found the blue-haired Rikkai captain smiling at him.

"Yukimura-san." Inui greeted.

Yukimura chuckled. "Just Yukimura will do." He noticed Inui glancing around and smiled again. "Genichirou's not here today. He's busy with his duties as Rikkai vice-captain. I've really placed a great burden on his shoulders by not being able to perform my duties as captain." Yukimura seemed sad as he spoke.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "I don't think he will view it as a burden." He stated. From his observations, Sanada was probably more than happy to serve as Yukimura's vice-captain.

Yukimura sighed. "I guess."

There was a short moment of silence (about 14 seconds and 3 miliseconds). "Where are you headed to, Inui-san?"

Inui thought about it a while. "Home." He finally replied. He didn't feel like data collecting so he might as well get home and check through the data in his computer again. Worst came to worst, he could always take a nap.

Yukimura nodded. "I see…you haven't been going to Renji's place recently, have you?"

Inui had calculated the chances of that topic being brought up. It was unavoidable, considering that Yanagi told Yukimura everything. Somehow, that thought brought a twinge. "Did he tell you that?" He couldn't help asking.

Yukimura shook his head. "No. Renji's not the type of person to complain much about his own problems. I guessed." Seeing Inui's confused look, Yukimura clarified. "After you started visiting Renji, he has brightened up. A lot. While he remained cooped up at home, unable to leave freely, he was always in such high spirits, making him seem like a different person altogether as compared to the depressed person he was before. Now…" Yukimura paused a while, the sad look returning to his features. "He has returned to the person he was before. He tried to hide it. It's in his nature to do so, as he doesn't want to worry his friends. Even when he first found out about his condition, he had kept everything from us, but we have known him enough to catch the subtle hints."

Inui suddenly felt guilty. Here he was, always considering himself to be one of Yanagi's true friends, but Yukimura and Sanada have proven to be better friends to Yanagi as compared to him. Inui wasn't there to support the other data master every time he was in a time of need, but the other two Rikkai demons were. Suddenly, he felt very inferior as compared to them. It further strengthened his reason to stay away from his friend before he hurt him any further.

Yukimura put one hand on his shoulder. "Renji is now in a vulnerable state. He needs us, his friends to support him. It's not easy for him, being pregnant at this age. Please be there for him, Inui-san."

Inui felt a surge of gratefulness towards Yukimura. He was touched to see the blue-haired Rikkai captain so concerned. Yanagi was very lucky to have them as friends. Somehow, that spurred Inui on. He too wished to be a good friend to Yanagi. He wouldn't lose to these two.

"Aa. I will." Inui gave his promise.

Yukimura smiled. "Thank you, Inui-san."

"Don't mention it. By the way, it's Inui."

XXX

Once Inui reached home, he thought about the conversation earlier on. It had reminded him that Inui was the cause of this mess in the first place. If he hadn't been so foolish as to give Yanagi an untested drink, this wouldn't have happened.

Guilt ate at him. It was his fault Yanagi had to leave school, had to leave his beloved tennis. It was all because Inui had gotten him pregnant, and it was a complete accident at that!

Accident…hah! Inui sounded like an irresponsible teenager trying to worm his way out after knocking up a girlfriend. He supposed he was, in a way, an irresponsible teen. After all, hadn't he been avoiding this issue for some time now? He had left Yanagi to deal with it all alone.

Inui winced uncomfortably at that. Indeed. Yanagi had been dealing with this all by himself all along. Inui had always thought that Yanagi was far more mature than he was, and this incident was a proof of it. Had their roles been reversed, Inui probably wouldn't be able to handle it so well.

That brought Inui's thoughts to something else. He wasn't just turning his back on Yanagi by running away. He was turning his back to his unborn child too. Inui found his thoughts going to the baby. Yanagi was now…what…7 months pregnant, and in another two months he would be bringing a new life into this world. Inui felt rather nervous at that, feeling that he wasn't ready for fatherhood. Then again, Yanagi probably wasn't too, but the other data master made do. If Yanagi was willing to sacrifice everything for this baby, then so would he.

He raised a hand lazily and switched off his table lamp. He would go to Yanagi's place tomorrow. He was the one who had gotten them both into this situation, and he would take responsibility for it. He wouldn't leave Yanagi alone in this.

XXX

Inui was the only one who went there that day. Sanada was busy with his Rikkai duties, and Yukimura had gone for a checkup for his illness. He stood nervously outside the door after he had rung the bell.

Yanagi opened the door moments later. He stared at Inui for a while before moving aside. "Come in, Sadaharu."

The atmosphere was very awkward between them. Yanagi's face was devoid of expressions, and Inui could not, for all his data gathering skills, guess what was in Yanagi's mind.

The clock continued ticking, and while usually they would have struck a lively conversation, this round they remained seated where they were, hardly moving, and their lips were sealed (except when they drank tea). Inui didn't like this change of atmosphere. He was usually completely relaxed in Yanagi's presence, not tensed like this.

He placed his cup on the table, adjusted his glasses nervously and tried to come up with an apology.

"Renji. I-"

"I feel that I must apologize to you, Sadaharu. It was wrong of me to take my bad mood out on you that day. I shouldn't have done that." Yanagi spoke up after a while.

Inui gaped. He was the one who acted like a jerk, but Yanagi was the one apologizing.

"No. I was wrong in demanding to know something which you did not want to speak about. I have been upset that everyone seemed to know except for me. I was too carried away by my resentment, and I have hurt you because of that. I am sorry, Renji." Inui watched Yanagi for his reaction.

The Rikkai data master turned to him, his face neutral. After a while, his expression softened. "Apology accepted."

Inui felt relief run through him. That was one thing he liked about his friend so much. Yanagi wouldn't hold grudges for long. "Don't hide anything from me anymore. I want to be the first, not the last to know." Inui muttered sheepishly.

Yanagi chuckled. "With those words, I could have interpreted it as you being jealous, Sadaharu."

Inui considered it a while. "I think I am." He admitted.

A flash of emotion crossed Yanagi's face briefly, though it disappeared before Inui could interpret it. They continued to sip their tea for a while. The Rikkai data master's hand rested on his stomach, and every now and then he would rub it softly.

"May I?" The words flew out of Inui's mouth without him realizing it.

Yanagi glanced over at him in surprise, as if not expecting him to ask such a question. He nodded to give his approval, and slowly, Inui reached out before placing his hand against Yanagi's stomach. He frowned, not feeling anything.

"Not there, Sadaharu. Here." Yanagi took his hand and guided it to another part of his stomach. The Rikkai data master kept his hand on top of Inui's, pressing down gently, and Inui felt that tingle on his skin again.

He also felt something else. For under his palm, he could feel a flutter. His eyes widened, the movement making everything seem more real to him.

He was going to be a father…

Yanagi chuckled. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"Aa…" Inui was at a loss for words. Despite how all these had come about, he looked forward to the child.

Inui took his friend's hands. "Renji…I…I am very sorry for getting you into this position. It was because of my foolishness that you're pregnant against your will."

Yanagi smiled at him. "It wasn't really your fault, Sadaharu. This is out of your calculations. Out of both of ours, actually."

Inui glanced down at Yanagi's stomach briefly. "I wish to take responsibility for this. It was my fault after all."

Yanagi's eyes opened at that. Inui had expected Yanagi to be happy about the news but it looked like he was wrong. Far from it, as Yanagi didn't look pleased at all. "I am not a woman, Sadaharu. I am a man, and I don't need pity. You don't have to take responsibility for this child. I can cope on my own."

Inui blinked. What did he say wrong?

"Nevertheless, I will still take responsibility for this. I want to be a part of the baby's life too."

Yanagi studied him a while. Finally, his eyes slid close. "I see. I understand, Sadaharu."

"I'm doing this because it's also my baby after all." Inui clarified further.

A flash of emotion crossed Yanagi's face briefly, and if Inui's calculations weren't wrong, it looked like a flash of hurt. Inui felt a pull at his heart at that, and that left him blinking in confusion. Surely he wouldn't be that affected by Yanagi's emotions. He was not attracted to Yanagi that way!

Yanagi pulled his hands away. Inui had not realized that he was holding on to Yanagi's hands all that time during their conversation. The Rikkai data master gave him a weak smile. "I'm feeling tired, Sadaharu. I wish to retire early today."

"I understand. I will take my leave then." The Seigaku data master stood up, thought about something a while, then walked over to Yanagi and wordlessly scooped him up into his arms.

"S-Sadaharu! What are you-" Yanagi had turned red at that.

"The doctor mentioned for you to be off your feet as much as possible once you reach seven months." Inui stated, remembering what the doctor had said during a previous checkup.

Yanagi didn't protest to that. Instead, he allowed himself to be carried to his bedroom, and Inui had even tucked him in before straightening up to leave.

"Sadaharu…" Inui turned around when he heard his name called.

Yanagi was looking up at him, a genuine smile on his face. "Thank you, Sadaharu."

Inui felt that it was a good thing he had dropped by, if he could bring the smile back to his friend's face. Yanagi looked almost beautiful when he smiled.

Somehow, deep inside, Inui knew he was fighting a losing battle.

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 8

Inui decided that he couldn't deny it anymore. He was attracted to Yanagi, but he refused to say it out loud. By saying it out loud, he felt that he was officially saying that he might not be so straight.

For now, he was contented with swinging on the fence, not crossing over to either side.

He continued to visit his friend. Somehow he felt happy just to see Yanagi, even if they only sat down for a cup of tea and a short chat. His friend looked forward to his visits, his mood becoming cheery once Inui walked through the door each time.

He didn't know when it had begun, but every time Inui visited, he subconsciously helped out with the chores, trying to make Yanagi as happy as possible. If he was concerned over Yanagi's welfare the last time he visited, now he found himself downright obsessed with trying to make Yanagi happy…and also to make Yanagi notice him.

Inui found himself wondering what Yanagi thought of him. More precisely, how Yanagi felt about him. He didn't think there was any difference with how Yanagi treated him. It was all the same, just like how Yanagi had treated him all those years ago.

Yanagi's opinions started to matter to him too. If the other data master made a careless comment that purple didn't suit Inui, then Inui would find himself disliking that colour and getting rid of all the purple outfits he might possibly have.

By the end of it all, when Inui was back home and lying on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, incredibly confused by these new emotions and also by his recent actions. He was changing, and he didn't know if he liked the change. Before he went to sleep, however, he always shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind, allowing his more logical side to come through. He was merely being responsible for what he had done to Yanagi, and of course, he was playing his part as the baby's father.

Inui took on a part time job. If he were to be responsible for his child, he would start saving for him or her from now onwards. Even though there wasn't much he could provide for either Yanagi or the baby, he did what little he could. He played by his strengths, helping to do some simple accounts for a small business. Years of data collecting allowed him to be highly efficient in calculating anyway, so figures were nothing to him. The pay was pretty good too so he was contented.

It was sometime during the middle of Yanagi's seventh month when Inui heard his mother give an exclamation. "Oro! How smart, Sadaharu. You've been chosen for a camp."

"Camp?" Inui went downstairs and noticed his parents reading a letter. Apparently, Inui had been selected for a study camp, one which would last for up to three months. One of Inui's eyebrows twitched. He calculated a 98.22 percent chance this was Atobe's doing.

Surely enough, when he went to find the Hyotei captain the next day Tezuka, Sanada and Yukimura were there too.

"You're not transferring to another school, Inui. You're going to remain in Seigaku, and there will be no change to your routine, your tennis practice or your part time job. There will only be a change to your lodging." Atobe said calmly.

Yukimura smiled at him. "We apologize for coming up with this on such short notice, but considering Renji is already in his third trimester, all of us have agreed that it's better to have someone accompany him from now onwards. It wouldn't be a good idea to leave him all by himself, since we need someone to keep an eye on him."

"Why don't the rest of you volunteer then?" Inui frowned.

Both Tezuka and Sanada threw him a stern glare at that. "Shouldn't you know the answer to that?" Tezuka asked.

Inui sighed inwardly. That was right. He was the father, so he should be the one to stay with Yanagi.

He continued to protest though. It wasn't that he disliked the idea of staying under the same roof as Yanagi, but he was averse to the idea that they had come up to this decision without consulting him first. Who did they take him for? His pride wouldn't allow this!

"Why didn't you discuss this with me first?" He couldn't help asking.

Atobe raised an elegant eyebrow. "Oh? As I clearly recall you were the one who couldn't meet up with us. We just had to go ahead with the discussion without you."

Oh yeah. Now that Atobe mentioned it they had asked to meet up, but Inui had to turn down the offer as he had his part-time job to go to.

"Renji has already agreed to this. I believe he should be expecting your arrival today." Yukimura told him.

So it was how Inui found himself standing outside Yanagi's place, having rung the doorbell. He carried two luggages, filled with his personal belongings for his stay.

Yanagi greeted him at the door. "Sadaharu. You've finally arrived. Come on in." He looked cheery, possibly delighted at finally having some companionship after having to stay alone for so long.

"Sorry to intrude…ah…no. I'll carry those. It wouldn't be good to overexert yourself." Inui stated at seeing Yanagi try to pick one of the luggages up.

Yanagi chuckled. "I'll carry this then." He took a smaller bundle from Inui. "I'm very sorry to trouble you like this. It must be quite inconvenient for you, since now you will have to walk a further distance to Seigaku."

"No. It was no trouble at all." Inui mused to himself that Yanagi must have hung out with Yukimura too much. He was starting to sound like the blue-haired captain. Inui found himself no longer protesting about the sudden living arrangement the others have made without informing him earlier, and instead, he looked forward to this short stay. His friend would really need some company.

Yanagi showed him one of the guest rooms, just a few doors away from Yanagi's. Inui allowed himself a short moment to study the room before packing his things away. When he left the room, Yanagi had placed a tray of cookies on the table.

"This feels almost like we're back in the junior senbatsu camp, doesn't it?" Yanagi smiled.

Inui thought about that. Now that Yanagi mentioned it, it did quite feel the same, with how they were to share a place again, except that this time it was a whole house instead of just one room.

"Aa. It does give the same feeling. I'll deal with the tea. You really should stay off your feet as much as possible." Inui stated, getting to his feet and heading to the kitchen. If he was to stay in Yanagi's place, he might as well make himself useful.

Yanagi obeyed, sitting on the couch immediately. Inui returned with two steaming mugs, and he gave one to Yanagi. The Rikkai data master thanked him and took a sip.

"So how…" Inui began.

"…how are you faring, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi smiled.

Inui didn't need to answer, not that Yanagi was expecting one. Yanagi reached out and patted him lightly. "Don't worry, Sadaharu. I may be pregnant, but I'm not that delicate. In fact, up till now I'm still wearing those power wrists."

Inui gaped. "Renji, all that weight can't be good for you or the baby."

Yanagi shook his head. "Don't worry. I've done the calculations and I don't think this particular weight is harmful. It's still manageable. It's something the regulars of Rikkai do. We don't take off our weights unless the coach asks us to do so. Besides, I don't want to get rusty, so a little training like this should be fine."

Inui sighed. "The Rikkai kings…sure are scary. I think I'll have to come up with a new training menu for Seigaku. Oh, I still have to come up with a menu for Kaidou-kun too…"

"Who?" Yanagi turned to look at him. His head was tilted a little by a 10 degree angle, almost like he cocked his head to a side.

Inui took out his notebook and flipped to one of the pages. He passed the book to Yanagi. "Kaidou Kaoru, second year, bloodtype B, nicknamed Viper. He specializes in the buggy whip shot, also known as the snake shot. Back when he was a first-year, he has lost to me three times, but early this year he beat me and won his position as a regular. I think he must have pent up quite some steam after losing to me the last time. Such a hot-blooded guy." He chuckled at that.

"Oh? You lost to a junior? You must be getting soft." Yanagi stated good-naturedly.

"Two juniors, actually. The other one is the first year prodigy, Echizen Ryoma. I really have underestimated him. No wonder Tezuka's so smitten."

Yanagi gave a laugh at that. "Tezuka? Smitten with a first year…wait…he has a crush on a boy too? That sure was unexpected."

"Aa. I suppose a tennis freak is easily attracted to another tennis freak. Those two are frighteningly similar in a lot of aspects and different in the rest." Inui leaned back in his seat.

Yanagi took another sip of his tea. "So, the boy likes him back?"

Inui frowned as he thought about that a moment. "Not at the moment, it seems. Echizen's too concentrated on tennis. I suppose it's an unrequited crush on Tezuka's part."

A strange look crossed Yanagi's face at that moment, one similar to sadness. "Is that so? Poor guy." He said nothing more as he took another sip.

Inui felt a strange tightening in his chest at that, similar to one of a heart attack patient (if the descriptions he read in medical books were accurate, that was, since he had no personal experience in that area), yet different. Again, that strong urge to make Yanagi smile returned. He tried to divert the topic. "I'm surprised though, Renji. You're so relaxed when you speak of this, it doesn't sound like you mind their...genders at all."

Yanagi looked up at him. "I don't." He replied calmly. Inui detected a 0 percent possibility of dishonesty in his voice.

Inui decided that it shouldn't hurt if he asked just one more question. "Well then…does anyone strike your fancy?"

Yanagi averted his gaze at that question. There was a very long pause, and Inui wondered if he had asked something bad. He decided to dispel the awkwardness between them by changing the topic again when Yanagi replied.

"Perhaps."

It felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on Inui. It wasn't the answer, actually, but more to the underlying data Inui got from him. "Perhaps" was, at most, a neutral answer to most laypeople, as was the word "maybe". However, to data masters, there was no such thing as "perhaps". Only an affirmative or a negative answer. That, was data. According to Inui's data, Yanagi's answer, judging from the tone of his voice to his body language (or lack of), the answer leaned more to "yes" than "no".

The Seigaku data master was filled with the strange urge to stab someone…or let the person enjoy a nice, steaming, XL-sized mug of Inui's Special Undrinkable Root Beer.

"I see." Inui tried to regain his composure even as his thoughts threatened to break free from the back of his mind. He sent those thoughts back again with a firm command, sealed the door shut and swallowed the key. He allowed his rational mind to process what he had heard, and deduced that he was acting like that because he was afraid that if Yanagi started a relationship with someone, their friendship wouldn't be the same again.

Before he could ask another question, Yanagi glanced up, looking at the clock which hung on the wall behind Inui.

"Ah. It's this late already. I believe you have classes tomorrow, and I have my lessons too. It's time for bed." Yanagi got to his feet carefully.

Inui's mind took a wrong turning at that, though it was a good thing he reined it back before it went down the road of no return. He nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Once more, he scooped Yanagi up into his arms.

Yanagi's face remained unchanged, though Inui detected a tiny spot of colour in his cheeks. "Again, Sadaharu?"

"Of course. Since I'm around I can see to it that you're off your feet as much as possible. It's not good for the baby." Inui told him.

Yanagi didn't say anything more to that. He was subdued when Inui tucked him in, and Inui reckoned that his friend was tired. He bade his friend goodnight and closed the door.

Once he did, he washed up, returned to his room and lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts managed to burst through the sealed door, and he was left wondering about what his friend had said.

Yanagi liked someone, and Inui calculated a 50-50 chance that it was a girl…in fact, Yanagi was so attractive it was a 65 percent chance it was definitely a girl.

Inui's mind froze at that. Wait…he didn't just think of his friend that way now, did he…?

Inui buried his face in his pillow, trying to stifle a groan of embarrassment. Something was very wrong with him. He most certainly couldn't think of his friend that way. It would betray the trust between them, and weren't they supposed to be best friends?

He removed the pillow when he calculated that he was 10 seconds away from getting himself suffocated. Once more, he stared at the ceiling. Yanagi liked someone…who? Inui would definitely need all his data collecting skills to hunt the person down. He didn't want their friendship to be affected.

He paused at that thought. Then again, why should he be so agitated if Yanagi liked someone? Wasn't that his business, not Inui's?

In the end, not even Inui's logical mind could give him all the answers, and the Seigaku data master fell into a restless, confused state of mind even as sleep claimed him.

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

A/N: I had only just realized I had forgotten to give replies to anonymous reviews in the previous chapter. (bonks head) Gomen. Will be answering for chapters 7 and 8.

**Lillian**, XD. I love your 'when their child is ready for college' phrase. As for when will he find out…ohoho…when their child goes to college, of course. (grins) . Kidding, kidding. You'll see.

**Mew**, you'll have to read on to find out. Glad you liked the chapters.

**Anon**, lol. I vote kick him.

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 9

Inui gave a sleepy groan when his alarm went off. He fumbled for the device, switched it off and put on his glasses. For a good few minutes, he started when he saw nothing familiar about his surroundings.

It took him a while before he remembered. That was right. He wasn't in his own home anymore.

He washed up quickly and headed out of his room. Apparently Yanagi was awake first, as he had already set breakfast on the table.

"Ah. Sadaharu. Good morning." The brunette greeted even as he bustled about.

"I'll deal with that." A strange surge of panic swept through Inui when he saw Yanagi attempting to lift a boiling pot of soup from the stove. He got to his feet and walked over, lifting the pot before Yanagi could do so.

Yanagi looked mildly amused. "I can manage, Sadaharu. It's not that heavy."

Inui set the pot on the table and served each of them a bowl of soup. Yanagi sat down at the table too, and Inui placed the bowl before him.

"Thank you, Sadaharu. That was kind of you." Yanagi's eyes opened slightly.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "Don't mention it. I want only the best for the baby."

There was a strange, subdued silence between them at the breakfast table after that. Inui decided to start the conversation by commenting about the meal.

"Renji. This soup is delicious." He told the other data master.

Yanagi had been toying with his bowl of soup, stirring the contents around without really touching it. He looked up when Inui spoke. "Ah. Thank you, Sadaharu. I've managed to pick up a trick or two during the few months I've stayed here. People will have to depend on themselves when they're alone."

Inui's hand made an involuntary movement, as he had the urge to put his hand on top of Yanagi's to comfort him, but managed to get a grip on himself and placed his hand on the table, just next to his spoon.

"You're not alone anymore." He mumbled, hoping that it didn't sound too weird coming from him.

Yanagi nodded, and his smile returned. "I know, Sadaharu. Thank you."

Inui finished his food and helped to wash up. He was done with the plates and was just about to wipe the table when Yanagi tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I'll deal with that, Sadaharu."

"It's all right, Renji. I-"

Yanagi shook his head and pointed up at the clock. It was only then Inui noticed he was going to be late. He gave a yelp and rushed back to his room to get his bag packed. He had never lost track of time before. This was a first.

Inui zipped out of the room again in record speed. "I'll be going now, Renji."

"Come back soon, Sadaharu." Yanagi waved him off.

Inui smiled slightly at that. That was for certain. His friend would be waiting for him after all.

XXXXXXXXX

Inui was in a very good mood during practice that day. Tezuka's eyebrow rose questioningly.

"Your tennis is in very good form today. I'm taking that as you're happy with your new lodging?"

"Of course, Tezuka." 'Renji wouldn't have to be alone anymore.' Inui replied even as his pen danced across the pages, sealing the fate of yet another unsuspecting victim. He really loved Seigaku. There would always be new data every day. Yanagi would surely be entertained when Inui narrated everything to him once he returned home.

Tezuka nodded. "We'll all be counting on you to keep him company then. If anything, call Atobe, as his men are on standby."

"Of course." He noticed a frown on Tezuka's face, and glanced over to the courts. Apparently both Momoshiro and Kikumaru were now glomping Echizen, who looked like he was trying to escape. Oho! A jealous Tezuka. This was very rare data. He had made a mental note to tell Yanagi that when he spotted Kaidou jogging past.

"Kaidou." He called his junior.

The bandanna wearing tennis player halted in his steps, gave a soft hiss and walked up to him. "What is it, Inui-senpai?"

"I have a new training menu for you here. It should help to improve your stamina, which is currently your greatest strength."

The anti-social gave another hiss, which, according to Inui's calculations, was one he made when he was pleased. He accepted the sheet of paper from Inui and gave his thanks before skimming through it briefly.

"A-anou…Inui-senpai…is it all right…if we go through this training menu together?" Kaidou asked. Inui thought he looked slightly embarrassed.

Inui nodded. "Of course, Kaidou. I'll see you after practice then." He had a day off work anyway, as his employer was away on a short trip.

Keeping his word, he met up with Kaidou at the park, and he gave a brief explanation to the amount of training Kaidou would have to do every day to increase his strength.

"Of course, you can't neglect the 100 sit-ups and 100 pushups, as well as the ten rounds around the block. Swing your racket 500 times every day." Inui told the bandanna wearing boy, who listened with rapt attention, nodding every once in a while to indicate that he understood.

Inui felt that Kaidou made a very good protégé. He learnt fast, and could pick up what Inui had come up with very quickly. Also, he was very respectful towards his seniors. Really. Why didn't the tennis club have more juniors like him?

Inui glanced at his watch. He had better return home quickly. It was getting late. "Well then, Kaidou. We'll call it a day for now. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. That training will be tough in the beginning, but once your stamina builds up, it shouldn't be a problem to you."

"Hai." Kaidou nodded. Inui bade him farewell and hurried back. He realized that he did not like leaving Yanagi home alone for too long.

When he reached home, Yanagi greeted him. Inui thought he seemed a little worried even if, as usual, it was devoid from his expression.

"Sadaharu. Where have you been?" Yanagi asked.

"My apologies. I was helping my junior out with his training menu." Inui explained even as he took off his shoes.

"Junior…do you mean Kaidou-kun?"

"Ah yes. Him." Inui mused that Yanagi had remembered their conversation yesterday. He went to put his bag away and headed over to the dining room. Apparently the food was still on the table, untouched. Yanagi really had waited up for him!

"Renji, you could have eaten first. You didn't have to wait up for me." Inui told him lightly, though deep inside he was a little happy.

Yanagi carefully lowered himself into his seat. "I just felt like it, Sadaharu."

They had dinner, and after the two of them had finished their food, Inui washed up and headed over to the sitting room, where he began to narrate the day's events. Yanagi listened on with keen interest, and as usual he punctuated the conversation with personal insights. He chuckled lightly when Inui mentioned a jealous Tezuka, and before Inui could mention his discussion with Kaidou, his phone rang.

"Ah. Excuse me, Renji." Inui picked up his phone and listened. "Moshi moshi? Oh. Kaidou, it's you."

"_Inui-senpai. Am I calling at a bad time?_" The ever respectful junior asked.

"Not at all. What is it, Kaidou?"

His junior still had queries regarding the training menu, and Inui tried his best to explain it to him. The topic somehow diverted from tennis to chemistry, Inui's strongest subject.

In the end, Inui worried for his junior's phone bill, and set a time and place to have a proper discussion instead. He was mildly proud to have a junior so dedicated to both tennis and studies. Kaidou had a bright future ahead of him.

When he had ended the call, he looked up and noticed Yanagi staring at him with a neutral expression. It was only then he remembered that he was still halfway through a conversation with him.

"So sorry, Renji. Kaidou had some questions over his schoolwork."

"I guessed as much." Yanagi replied curtly. He carefully got to his feet and walked away from the living room.

"Where are you going to, Renji?" Inui asked, wondering about Yanagi's sudden departure.

Yanagi paused a while. "The washroom."

Inui frowned slightly. That sounded like an afterthought.

Yanagi noticed his frown and gave a reassuring small smile. "What's with that expression? The baby is pressing against my bladder, that's all." With that said, he took his leave.

Inui gave a sigh and leaned back against his seat. He removed his glasses, wiped them with his shirt and replaced them. He glanced up at the ceiling, reverting to his habit whenever he was thoughtful and he didn't have a notebook in hand.

Recently, it was getting difficult to keep all his thoughts in check, as more often than not, his thoughts would conjure very…imaginative pictures in his head. Inui tried to convince himself that he was only getting close to Yanagi because of the baby, but somehow his mind thought otherwise. The parent was the most important person to Inui.

Still, he remained tight-lipped over it. No point saying anything until he could find out just what Yanagi thought of him. His data was accurate when it came to analyzing others, but for some reason it wasn't working when it was related to himself…and Yanagi.

Speaking of which…wasn't there already someone Yanagi liked? Someone whose data Inui couldn't get a good grasp on. Inui was so caught up with the whole day's activity that this particular issue had slipped his mind, but now that he recalled it, he could feel the urge to stab someone return.

How would he ever find out who the person was? Inui couldn't very well sneak off to Rikkai Dai and…wait…on second thought he had done so before, so he could do so again, though Sanada might throw him out bodily if he ever caught him.

He was still formulating a plan in his head when he felt someone shaking him lightly.

"Sadaharu?"

He glanced up and only then he realized he had fallen asleep. Yanagi chuckled at him. "Really, I thought only pregnant people are prone to bouts of fatigue. If you're tired you should retire to your bedroom."

"Aa. I think I should." Inui got to his feet tiredly. He shook his head clear, trying to get more awake. "Before I do, however, I should get you back to bed too."

Yanagi's face coloured slightly again. "Really, Sadaharu. I don't think it would matter if I walk to the bedroom or you carry me there. It's only a few feet away."

"I insist, Renji." Inui told him in all seriousness.

Yanagi placed one hand on his shoulder. "I've calculated a 95 percent chance you would say that. Alright then."

Inui scooped the pregnant teen into his arms, and he could feel Yanagi's breath against his neck. He didn't know why he was so insistent on carrying Yanagi. The Rikkai demons were much stronger than they look anyway, but rationality was his weakest point recently.

Now then. Only one more issue he had to settle before he was completely contented.

XXXXXXXXX

Inui's schedule was increasingly tight nowadays. He had to juggle among school, tennis practice, coaching Kaidou over tennis or schoolwork, his part-time job and of course, gathering data on who Yanagi's possible love interest could be.

His schedule was so tight, in fact, that it was always late by the time he returned home, and he had to leave early the following day. The amount of time for interacting with Yanagi had shortened greatly, but when he was at home, he made sure to give Yanagi a complete data of the day anyway, minus the part where he snooped over to Rikkai Dai.

He repeated this for nearly a week, and still no signs of anyone who Inui was sure had been in some way associated with his friend. He hid behind trees, or in bushes, trying to get even a squeak. So far…he got other data instead, such as Rikkai's Doubles 1 pair making out without knowing that Sanada was making a phone call to Yukimura just a few feet away, or Jackal polishing his head counter clockwise and not clockwise like what Yanagi's data had mentioned, or Marui getting a liking for watermelon flavoured bubble-gum, or Kirihara doing graffiti all over Sanada's tennis bag. Really, it was interesting data, and Inui had recorded it all since it might entertain Yanagi, but this was certainly not the data he was looking for.

He gave a frustrated groan when the Rikkai trickster and gentleman started making out in front of him again, blocking his view of a bunch of fangirls who might potentially be suspects in the 'possibly-Yanagi's-love-interest' case.

"A penny for your thoughts, Inui." A voice spoken near his ear almost made him jump. It was a good thing he managed to stop himself, or he would totally reveal his position as a spy in the school.

He spun around and met the smiling face of the Rikkai captain. "Yukimura…"

"I take it you're not here for scouting. If you were, you would have chosen a spot nearer to the tennis courts and not all the way at the back of the clubroom." The blue-haired captain continued to smile.

Inui gave a weak laugh. "Ah…I was…looking for a friend, but I'm leaving now anyway. What are you doing here?'

No sooner had the words left him did he feel like a complete idiot. This was Rikkai Dai, and Yukimura was the captain of Rikkai's tennis club, so why should he not be here?

Yukimura looked mildly amused. He didn't tease Inui about it though. "I was just checking on the welfare of the club. While I can't join them for practice, I'd still drop by once in a while. It's the least I can do as captain." He adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "I'm leaving too. Let's walk together then."

"Aa." Inui consented. Yukimura probably wanted to ask him about Yanagi.

Surely enough, Yukimura touched that topic just 3 metres out of the school gates.

"Renji's fine. He has to visit the washroom frequently because the baby is putting pressure on his bladder, but otherwise, they're both perfectly healthy." Inui reported.

Yukimura looked happy to hear that. "Is that so? That's good. I'm glad you're there to take care of him."

"Well…it was no trouble. He's carrying a baby with my DNA after all." Inui tried to come up with a reason which didn't sound too cheesy.

Yukimura threw him a side-glance. "The baby? That's your reason? Is that all?"

Inui had always felt that Yukimura's insight was downright creepy. This was one of those times. "Aa. That is all." He said, even as his mind conjured a different sentence altogether.

Yukimura sighed. "Is that so? That's a pity. I thought you were so kind to Renji because you liked him."

"I'm not gay." Inui's mouth went ahead of him as his mind automatically went defensive at those words. He noticed Yukimura giving him a stare and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Er…I mean…I like him as a friend, of course. It seems that Renji already has someone he liked anyway." Inui rephrased his words.

Yukimura turned to look at him at that. "Oh? Did Renji tell you that?"

Inui nodded, not clarifying that Yanagi hadn't exactly "told" him, but it was all according to his predictions.

Yukimura smiled. "I see."

By Yukimura's answer, Inui was 100 percent sure that Yukimura knew who it was. "Who's the girl?" He blurted out, unable to hold the question in anymore.

Yukimura gave a soft cough, followed on by another. "Please excuse me." The blue-haired captain turned away from Inui, his shoulders shaking. Inui had the feeling that the Rikkai captain was chuckling silently. In fact, by how his shoulders were shaking non-stop, Inui allocated a small percentage of prediction that Yukimura might burst out with loud, uncontrollable laughter any moment. That very mental image scared him.

Thankfully, that never happened, as the Rikkai captain managed to contain his laughter. He gave one last cough and turned back to Inui, who was already pale with fright. He didn't know what it was he said that was so funny.

"What made you ask such a question anyway?" Yukimura's voice was quite steady.

Inui gave a weak laugh. "I…assumed…"

Yukimura smiled. "And why did you assume a girl immediately?"

Inui was about to say something to that, but he caught the underlying message in Yukimura's words. His jaw dropped. "It's a guy?"

Yukimura merely smiled, not giving off anything. He placed one hand on Inui's shoulder. "If this is bugging you, then shouldn't you ask Renji personally?" He patted Inui on the shoulder and left, heading towards a different route. Inui was still rooted to the spot, his head spinning in confusion. So Yanagi was attracted to guys? This certainly was new and important data.

By the time Inui returned home, it was very late, and Yanagi had waited up for him anyway, his food completely untouched. "Sadaharu, where have you been to? It's late."

"Sorry, Renji. I lost track of time."

He couldn't read Yanagi's expression, but the Rikkai data master didn't seem pleased. Yanagi shook his head slightly and headed towards the kitchen area. He didn't seem to be paying attention as to where he was walking to, for he tripped over a stool.

"Renji!" Inui lunged forward and caught him before he hit the ground. For a long moment he remained where he was, his arms still wrapped protectively around his friend as he tried to still his pounding heart, which hadn't quite recovered from that scare yet.

Eventually, he got to his feet again. "That was close, Renji. You could have hurt you- ah…the baby." Inui rephrased his words quickly, not wanting to scare Yanagi away by spouting something cheesy.

Yanagi stiffened. "Thank you, Sadaharu. I'll go get dinner ready." His tone was very neutral, and Inui couldn't guess what was going on in his friend's mind. He didn't sound too happy, that was for certain. Maybe he was disgusted with Inui putting his arms around him for so long?

Dinner was more unbearable this round. Not the food. That was good, as usual. The ambience was suffocating. Inui tried to lighten his friend's mood by speaking of his day, but Yanagi was only listening half-heartedly. Inui was considering whether he wanted to reveal his talk with Yukimura too when his phone started ringing again.

"Excuse me, Renji. Moshi moshi? Ah. Kaidou."

There was a dull clink as Yanagi picked up his food. Inui could only see him from the corner of his eye, and thought that it looked rather like Yanagi had just stabbed the sushi. His eyes must be playing tricks with him.

Kaidou was enquiring about homework, and Inui briefly explained the formula to him before ending the call. He glanced up and noticed Yanagi giving him a dark look. Oh yes. It must be very rude of him to answer the call at the table.

"So sorry, Renji. I won't take a call at the dinner table again." He tried to pacify his friend.

Yanagi stabbed another sushi. Inui was certain his eyes weren't playing tricks with him this time. "Your junior seems to be calling very often." He said calmly.

Inui nodded. "Aa. That's of course. The teacher's explanations were unclear and he couldn't catch up with some chapters."

"I see." Yanagi continued to stab the sushi without eating it. "Sadaharu…do you like him?"

Such an odd question. "Of course." Inui's reply was instantaneous. Inui did like Kaidou as a junior, since he was so respectful.

A flicker of emotion crossed Yanagi's face briefly. It was only then did Inui realize where Yanagi's thoughts were going. "No. Not _that_ way. I only like him as a junior. I'm not gay." Again, Inui went on defensive mode.

Yanagi winced slightly. "I know…you mentioned that five times so far…" He gave a soft hiss of pain, even as his hands flew to his stomach.

Inui was next to him immediately. "Renji?"

"It…hurts…" Yanagi managed to choke out. He gave another cry of pain, even as his hands clutched the swell of his stomach.

Inui turned pale. Contractions? But Yanagi was only seven months and 17 days pregnant.

Yanagi opened his eyes and stared at him. His expression did not betray the pain he must have been feeling, but Inui could see it in his eyes. He was tearing up from the pain, and there were other emotions too…fear…and confusion. "Something's not right…it's too early to be born…" He gave another hiss.

Inui reacted immediately. He lifted his ailing friend in his arms and carried him to the bedroom. His friend, who had put on such a strong front all these months, was trembling in his arms. He looked so vulnerable, like a child.

"I don't want to lose the baby, Sadaharu. I don't want to lose the baby…" Yanagi muttered in a shaky voice. He clung on to Inui's shirt, as if the gesture could stop the pain.

Inui's blood turned to ice at that thought. "You won't, Renji. You'll be alright. The baby will be alright." He set his friend down and dashed out of the room.

Seizing the nearest phone off the table, Inui speed dialed Atobe's number…

To be continued…

A/N: (Evil laughter) I love cliffhangers…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

A/N: Posting this chapter one day earlier as I'm not sure if I'll have internet access tomorrow.

**Mew**, ehehe. Well, here's the next chapter.

**Lillian**, lol. Need a rope to do so? (hands over a noose)

**Data Pair Lover**, maa…apparently Inui is pretty blind when it comes to anything involving himself.

**Tinker**, (turns to Inui) ::slaps:: . Done. XD

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 10

"Braxton Hicks Contractions." The doctor announced once he entered the sitting room.

The five occupants in the room stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. Inui was the first to break the silence. "What?"

"False contractions. He will be quite prone to that during the third trimester of his pregnancy. Sometimes this may lead to premature labour, but other times this will just be an on and off thing. It'll come and go from time to time. Yanagi-san's condition has already been stabilized."

There was a collective sigh of relief in the room. Inui glanced around at all those present. When he had called Atobe earlier on, the Hyotei captain immediately sent over one of his personal doctors. Apparently, he had also called the two Rikkai demons and Tezuka too. Inui could only guess what kind of excuses they had come up with to sneak out so late at night.

The doctor perused his report briefly. "What I'm concerned of is that those contractions were stress-induced."

Another round of silence as the atmosphere became tense again. "Stress-induced?" Tezuka repeated, frowning.

"Aa. Also, his blood pressure is rather high. That might be dangerous to both him and the baby." The doctor continued on.

Sanada instantly turned to Inui, his glare so powerful that Inui felt small, even though he was supposed to be the taller one.

"You! Just what have you done to Yanagi to stress him out like that? He's only been living with you for less than a month and you give him high blood pressure?" Sanada snarled.

"Genichirou, calm down." Yukimura touched his arm.

Sanada rounded on him next, still pointing at Inui. "That's why I didn't want this guy to be the one to watch Yanagi. Either of us would have been a better choice."

"We've discussed this before, Genichirou." Yukimura sighed.

"This is still a bad idea, Yuki-"

"Gen." It was just a simple three-lettered word, but Yukimura had lowered his voice, making him sound more masculine…and a tad scary too.

Sanada halted immediately. It was at moments like these when Inui remembered that Yukimura was indeed the Rikkai captain. "I still don't like the idea." Sanada muttered, completely deflated.

Yukimura patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry to trouble you, but just be patient." He next turned to Inui. "It's getting very late, so we had better take our leave now. We'll leave Renji under your care then."

"Aa." Inui gave his promise. He saw the others out and closed the door before heading over to Yanagi's bedroom.

His friend lay on his bed, sleeping. His breathing was deep and even, and his face peaceful. A surge of relief filled Inui at the sight of his pain-free face. Yanagi's hand rested gently on the mound of his stomach, where their baby continued to grow quietly. Reaching out, Inui placed his hand on top of Yanagi's. "You have given us quite a scare there." He whispered, not specifying whether that statement was for Yanagi or the baby.

Inui was about to leave, but Yanagi gave a whimper, seemingly having a bad dream. He placed one hand on Yanagi's, and the Rikkai data master quieted down. Inui felt bad to leave if his friend was having nightmares like that, and he pulled up a chair to Yanagi's bedside to keep watch. It was the least he could do after what Yanagi had suffered.

He brushed away a lock of hair from Yanagi's face in a caring gesture, watching the peaceful expression. Somehow, a surge of peace ran through Inui too, as he laid his head next to Yanagi's sleeping form, just listening to Yanagi's breathing and the slow 'tick' of the clock.

He didn't realize he had been lulled to sleep until he felt someone touching his head. Jolting awake, Inui sat up immediately to find his friend watching him.

"Have you been here the whole night, Sadaharu? I'm sorry for the trouble." His friend apologized.

"Nope. It was no trouble." Inui yawned as he rubbed his eyes. He noticed Yanagi trying to get out of bed and panicked. "No, don't move about so much!" He promptly lifted his friend off the bed and carried him to the washroom.

"Really, Sadaharu. I'm perfectly fine." Yanagi sighed.

"No you're not…" Inui muttered, remnants of the fear from the previous night returning.

Inui kept a hawk's eye on his friend throughout the day. It was a weekend anyway, and while usually he would be outdoors gathering data or practicing his tennis, today he stayed at home to keep watch over the pregnant teen.

Also, he bustled about getting the housework done, feeling it better if Yanagi moved less. He took the day off work too, despite Yanagi's protests ("I'm perfectly fine, Sadaharu. You don't have to worry for me like that."). In fact, with how he was acting, frankly speaking Inui was scaring himself too.

Yanagi gave up trying to dissuade him after a while, and allowed Inui to do as he pleased. Once Inui was done with the housework, he sat down and, after getting Yanagi a cup of tea, began to run through some of his data to entertain the Rikkai data master. He mentioned his Rikkai trip, but made it sound like he was there scouting instead. Yanagi smiled gently, rubbing his abdomen from time to time. "I miss Rikkai. I look forward to returning to my school, once the child is born, that is."

"Aa." Inui's phone rang at that moment, and he picked it up. "Moshi moshi? Ah Kaidou. What is it? Hmm? Today?" Inui threw a glance in Yanagi's direction. The Rikkai data master was completely calm, not giving as extreme a reaction as the day before. Still…

"I'm sorry, Kaidou. I'm rather busy today. I'll see you during tennis practice tomorrow to go through your schoolwork. In fact, I'll be compiling some notes for you, so that you won't have to rely so heavily on my coaching." He ended the call.

"Are you really sure you want to do that, Sadaharu?" Yanagi asked. He was so incredibly calm that it started to unnerve Inui.

"Aa." Inui wanted to stay home with his friend.

Yanagi shrugged. "Is that so? Well then. Let's go through that data again, shall we?"

XXX

Inui must be quite possessed, for there were certain practices which he did on a daily basis, feeling incredibly uncomfortable if he missed out on either one of them.

The first, of course, was that he always carried Yanagi back to his bedroom, not thinking so much about the baby anymore, but more to because he secretly liked having Yanagi in his arms. Yanagi's comfortable weight and body warmth seeped through his hands, and served as some form of reassurance to Inui every night before he went to sleep.

Also, he made sure to set his alarm earlier, putting all his data collecting to good use. He knew what time Yanagi usually woke, and made sure to wake before he did to get breakfast ready before heading over to help carry Yanagi over to the washroom to wash up before carrying him to the breakfast table. Yanagi no longer protested, humouring Inui's antics. It was getting increasingly difficult for Yanagi to walk once he reached eight months of pregnancy anyway.

He was getting incredibly keen on observing Yanagi's every move now, feeling very much like some kind of a stalker. Yanagi was excellent with time management, and frequently passed time by reading. Inui made sure to get him more books, seeing how much the Rikkai data master enjoyed them. They lived like that under one roof, and Inui found himself enjoying Yanagi's presence greatly, sometimes even more so than he enjoyed data collecting. They acted almost like a married couple, or a family.

Inui paused on that thought. No. That wasn't too true either. No matter how Inui tried, Yanagi just didn't seem to take any interest in him. Inui seemed to be the only one who crossed the line of 'friends', but Yanagi hadn't.

Inui did not give up though. He cut down a lot of the time spent on data collecting so that he could be home as much as possible to keep Yanagi company. In fact, his data nowadays were more to do with whatever might interest Yanagi instead of keeping track on the opponents. Inui even cut down on his time coaching Kaidou, and he made sure to check through his work thoroughly, so that he wouldn't have to work overtime unless absolutely necessary.

The Seigaku data master continued with his subtle hints, hoping that eventually Yanagi would able to pick them up.

XXX

Inui was getting incredibly frustrated as the days went by. His attempts to get Yanagi to notice him were quite futile, as Yanagi showed no interest in him at all. In fact, the Rikkai data master had an air of calmness around him which didn't seem quite normal, but made him look pretty rigid instead. Yanagi seemed to have changed slightly after the false contractions' incident. Inui's data all pointed to that.

Inui wanted to confess his feelings, yet at the same time, he didn't dare to. He had been treading lightly around Yanagi, afraid that he might trigger another stress-induced attack. He didn't know what had caused the first attack in the first place anyway. The doctor mentioned stress, and Inui deduced that it might be something he did. No matter how he racked his brains, however, he couldn't figure out what it was that he had done that had affected Yanagi so much though.

Yanagi was doing his homework when Inui returned home that day, and he glanced up when Inui entered the room. "Ah, you're back, Sadaharu."

"Tadaima." Inui said even as he took off his shoes. Yanagi's brow furrowed as he tried to solve one of the equations, and after Inui had set his bag down, he walked over and joined Yanagi at the table.

"Let me see that." Inui reached out and turned the book slightly so that he too could read it. His hand brushed against Yanagi's briefly, and felt that tingle again. This time, however, he knew what that was, and glanced quickly at Yanagi.

There was no change to the Rikkai data master's expression, much to Inui's disappointment. He went back to his original task, glancing through the equations and discussing them with Yanagi. They argued over certain points, but in the end, it left Inui feeling better, since they hadn't had such a spirited chat in a while. Not since Yanagi's change in behaviour.

Their discussion of schoolwork became their newest form of bonding. Yanagi didn't seem so rigid anymore, and spoke more cheerily to him as they discussed their schoolwork. Inui was incredibly grateful to Atobe for providing a tutor for Yanagi, or his friend would surely have a difficult time trying to catch up.

There was no change of Yanagi's behaviour towards him though, as Yanagi still treated him as a friend. No more than that. Inui was beginning to wonder if there was any other way to get Yanagi's attention, or if he was only wasting his time.

He was bustling about the house, sweeping the floor when he noticed Yanagi watching the television screen intently, while holding a cup of green tea in his hand. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked over. "What are you watching, Renji?"

Yanagi glanced up at him. "The video you took during your last Rikkai scouting trip. I have quite some time on my hand right now, so I thought it might be a good idea to catch up on data collecting. Do you want to sit here, Sadaharu?"

There was no way Inui would pass up on that offer. "I'll be over in a moment." He finished his chores and dropped into the spot next to Yanagi, flipping to a fresh page of his notebook. Two data masters were always better than one, and Inui was looking forward to hearing what observations Yanagi might have.

He relived his little adventure to Rikkai as he watched the characters on screen. Yanagi chuckled when Kirihara scribbled on Sanada's bag. "Akaya is always like that. Last year, he had potential to be a regular, and since he's the baby of the group, we seniors tended to be rather soft on him and his childish ways. I see he hasn't changed even though he's a regular now. Sanada will be better off not seeing this video."

"Aa." Inui gave a light laugh. He was about to comment more when the scene changed again, and Rikkai's doubles 1 pair came on screen. Inui remembered that they had been the ones blocking the camera (unintentionally) at that time.

Yanagi continued to watch with mild interest. "Oh. They've progressed much further than last year. Back then, the Gentleman wouldn't even be within a 10-foot radius of his doubles partner, let alone hold hands. Interesting data." He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. Inui had no doubt that he was already memorizing their data.

Inui would love to give a comment to his words, except that the make-out scene was having some sort of effect on him. A good effect…no…a bad effect. Not good. 'Bad Inui!' he mentally scolded himself.

He swallowed, wondering why the room suddenly felt so hot. That couldn't be. Yanagi had the air-conditioning system switched on. He threw a sideglance at Yanagi to see if he felt the room temperature change too.

Yanagi seemed oblivious to that though since his eyes were still fixed on the screen. Inui watched as Yanagi licked his lips to moisten them, stared with fascination as the tiny pink tongue worked. It had an even stronger effect on him than the make out scene had.

Inui tore his gaze away forcefully. 'Don't look at Renji. Don't look at Renji.' He repeated to himself in his head. Even if he didn't look at Yanagi, it was impossible to ignore his presence though, as Inui became acutely aware of Yanagi sitting right next to him. He could feel Yanagi's body warmth from the proximity.

"Hmm, I wonder if we can get the correct angle of that kiss." Yanagi muttered thoughtfully. He shifted, bumping against Inui slightly. That tingle became a jolt of electricity, and Inui felt the room temperature rise yet another few degrees.

He decided that it wasn't such a wise idea for him to remain in the same room as Yanagi anymore, and Inui decided to excuse himself while his rational mind was still intact. He turned to his friend and opened his mouth to give an excuse…but his voice died instantly.

For he caught sight of his friend, whose face was illuminated by the light from the TV screen. Inui had always felt that Yanagi was very attractive, and currently, the scene before him…

…was more than his self-control could handle.

Inui's hand moved automatically, gently holding Yanagi's chin and turning his face over. Yanagi stared at him, his eyes still half closed, while his lips moved as he tried to form a question to Inui's actions.

Inui moved without warning, leaning over and catching Yanagi's lips in a hungry, mildly desperate kiss. Yanagi's eyes flew open and he made a sound of confusion in his throat. Inui wasn't really able to keep track of his actions after that, but somewhere along the way, he might have knocked them both over, as he continued to kiss Yanagi on the floor. His mind was too far-gone to notice anyway.

Yanagi remained unresponsive, his whole body completely rigid. Somehow, that seemed to bring some of Inui's rational mind back, as he realized what he was doing to his friend, who was pinned underneath him.

'Oh no…ohnoohnoohno-' The same words repeated themselves in Inui's mind as panic set in. _What had he done?_

He leapt to his feet, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "Renji, I…I…I'm sorry!" Inui fled from the room.

XXX

Inui sighed for the 42nd time as he swept the same spot on the shelves that day. His mind kept replaying his actions, and Inui was highly tempted to suffocate himself with the feather duster he was holding.

He didn't know if he could ever look Yanagi in the eye again. He had completely lost control of his own emotions, and had kissed Yanagi. He had broken the trust between them…

He gave a groan and hit his head against the wall. He was the worst, doing something like that. He hadn't seen Yanagi the whole day either, the other data master probably avoiding him now after his horrible actions. Inui didn't even know what he could say to patch things up between them again. A kiss wasn't something one could easily make excuses for.

He continued to rearrange the books on the shelves to keep himself occupied. If he thought about the incident anymore he'd drive himself insane. Somewhat satisfied with his work, he was about to leave when he thought he saw his name.

He backtracked, browsing through the books on the shelf. His eyes hadn't played tricks with him. There was one notebook with the name 'Inui' on it. Did he accidentally leave one of his books down?

He drew that book from the shelf. No. This wasn't his notebook. With this handwriting, Inui was pretty sure this was Yanagi's notebook. So it was a book with his data?

Even from when they were younger, Yanagi's notebook was not something Inui has had the chance of seeing before. The original data master once told him that a true data master would not reveal his secret weapon to the enemy, hence hiding his notebook.

Inui had differing opinions in the sense that the secret weapon could be used as strong blackmail material too, to inflict fear on the enemy. Hence the bespectacled boy was always carrying his notebook around.

For Yanagi's notebook to be found like this, he sure has gotten careless. Taking note of where the book was positioned initially and at which angle it leaned, Inui decided that it shouldn't hurt if he took a peek. It was Yanagi's weakness to let him find his secret weapon in the first place anyway. Ii data…

He flipped it open. Surely enough, he could see calculations and notes filling the pages, from all of Inui's skills to all of his weaknesses. Yanagi had even recorded events in there, such as the first time they met, to when they had started becoming friends. Inui chuckled to himself as Yanagi had first described him as a 'bespectacled, slightly dorky looking newcomer'.

He flipped a few more pages. As expected of Yanagi, the book was filled with a lot of personal insights. He raised an eyebrow when Yanagi made a comment on his high-speed serve.

"Sadaharu's new serve has reached 195km/h. Quite impressive, and the pose when he executes that move is rather cool too. It's a very elegant skill, just like the rest of his tennis. Then again, elegance is one of Sadaharu's strongest charms anyway."

As Inui flipped the pages, the calculations and notes became less, while insights…or were they personal thoughts instead…became more frequent. From a data notebook, the pages seemed to sound more and more like a personal diary instead. As Inui read on, realization began to dawn upon him…

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Lillian**, your insight is incredible. (grins). Not going to give any spoilers yet though. The answer is in this chapter.

**Mew**, ah well. Good luck to the both of them for that.

**Data Pair Lover**, not going to be giving any spoilers. Read on to find out. (grins)

A/N: Italics indicate flashback, and it's also the entries of the diary.

**Data Tales**

**By: Gwynhafra86**

Chapter 11

Yanagi could still remember the first time he met the boy Inui Sadaharu. It had been quite a few years back, yet the memory still remained fresh in his head, as if he had only just met Inui yesterday.

"_Minna, from today onwards, Inui-kun here will be part of our tennis club. Inui, please introduce yourself."_

_Yanagi glanced up from his pocket notebook just in time to see a pale, thin boy with huge, thick, square framed spectacles covering about half his face walking into the courts. Inui had put up a strong front, but Yanagi could see that he was nervous, by how his hands (which the bespectacled, slightly dorky looking boy kept clenched by his sides) were shaking slightly, and by the 3 percent increase of tremor in Inui's voice as compared to a normal person's._

_Inui was different, and on the very first day, Yanagi had calculated an 87 percent chance that he might have trouble fitting in. He was correct. After the coach had asked Inui to join the line with the others, no one made any space for him, sharing smirks and mean glances as he passed. Yanagi had taken pity on him, and stepped back a little to make some room for him. The pale boy gave him a brief, grateful glance before he stood in line._

_Back then, Yanagi hadn't thought that they'd become friends. He just thought that Inui was an interesting source for data. Despite his rather geeky appearance, the bespectacled boy was actually quite talented in tennis. Yanagi raised an eyebrow when he first saw a demonstration of Inui's high speed serve. The senpai whom Inui was playing against didn't stand a chance, as the ball shot past his left foot even before he could move a muscle. Inui had won the game, 6 games to 3. Yanagi calculated that there was a 100 percent chance that given a few more months, Inui would definitely be a regular._

_Inui might have won the game, but he had yet to win the friendship of his teammates. All of them continued to treat him as an outcast, not asking him to join in any of their games, and the only time Inui got to play tennis with them was only during club practice, and only if the coach or the captain made Inui their opponent. Oddly enough, Inui, for his part, did not seem the least bit concerned about that. Instead, he went along with the flow and kept mainly to himself, hardly socializing with the other club members. Yanagi continued to watch as Inui snuck off to one of the trees during break times, and returned precisely 15 minutes later, after he had had his lunch. He noted all these down in his pocket notebook (not his main one and nowhere near as comprehensive as the huge notebook he had hidden at home), and made a mental note to do some scouting later to find out additional information about the newcomer. It was all good data._

_He had found out about Inui's familial background, and was reading the notes regarding the number of times Inui had switched schools when he bumped right into the devil himself. Yanagi noted that Inui was carrying a whole box of tennis balls to be put away in the clubroom, and he frowned to himself, remembering that it wasn't Inui's turn to clean up the courts that day. Somehow, that reminded him of his time as a junior, when he too was bullied by seniors into doing their chores. It was from then he had developed data tennis as a means of self-defense, so that no one would bully him again._

_He decided to use that very same trick to help Inui out, and it was also that day that Yanagi actually had a conversation with the bespectacled boy. Inui wasn't arrogant or stuck up as some of the club members had put him to be. From what Yanagi gathered, Inui was just quiet, and a little insecure. An anti-social like himself. Yanagi thought Inui seemed to be an interesting person, and wanted to get to know him more (for data's sake), so he offered to walk with Inui home that day._

_He could never forget the look on Inui's face. While his eyes remained hidden behind those thick glasses, a small smile had appeared on his face briefly before Inui put on a poker face again. That was the first time Yanagi had actually seen a real smile from Inui. The rest he put on his face during practice were only forced, a mask to protect himself when he was being ridiculed. It was on that day, Yanagi made a promise to himself that he would put all his data skills to use, to bring that smile out on Inui's face more often._

XXX

_Initially, Inui was very tentative about their friendship. Yanagi continued to meet up with him, and the anti-social remained stiff during their conversations. Eventually, however, Inui warmed up to him, and slowly, Yanagi could see the trust Inui had in him, as he opened up and spoke more personally, such as his family, his past acquaintances, and his hobbies…to name a few. _

_Inui had never used the word 'friend', not to describe him or anyone else, but Yanagi would like to think of their relationship as that. Inui was the only person to have such trust in him. Yanagi had people he could call friends, but they usually approached him when they had questions regarding homework, or if they were bullied by someone and they needed his help. Also, the club members were rather fearful of him, and nobody approached him to have a heart to heart talk, afraid that whatever they said might become blackmail material against them instead. None of them…but Inui._

_Inui had never asked anything from him, and instead didn't seem to mind Yanagi hanging out with him. As they sat down for lunch, Yanagi stole a glance at his teammate. Even under the shade of the tree, Inui's skin remained so pale, so translucent. Almost like…a girl's…_

_Yanagi had to hide a chuckle at that thought. If anything, he'd be the one looking effeminate instead, something confirmed by Inui later. He was making a mental note to have his hair cut in the future when the coach asked to meet them. _

_It was something outside his calculations when the coach asked them to be doubles partners. Yanagi had been surprised, but he was very happy. He had wondered what it would be like to play doubles with Inui anyway. It should be a lot of data he could collect from the experience. _

_That wasn't the greatest surprise though. What had really made Yanagi's eyes widen was when Inui had unexpectedly asked to be taught data tennis. Yanagi had never expected anyone to ever ask him that question, and he gladly agreed. Inui did have potential anyway._

_It was a step in the right direction. Inui picked up this form of tennis very fast, and had even created his own style of data tennis. Yanagi was very proud of his friend's progress, and was slowly drawn to Inui's tennis…and Inui too. When they started calling each other by their names, Yanagi thought it seemed rather intimate. He found himself wanting to be in Inui's presence more, and while they were inseparable during the day, Yanagi was constantly thinking of Inui when he was back at home too. This new emotion baffled him, and after some research, the closest match he could find in the book was 'puppy love'. Yanagi wasn't irked by the idea that he might be attracted to Inui, like Inui was a girl. It was a special feeling, one which he knew would not come often, so why should he be disgusted by it?_

_He kept quiet about it though, and continued to hang out with Inui, his first crush. Sadly, the happy days did not last, as Yanagi's father announced that they were moving to a completely different district altogether. Yanagi's heart fell, knowing that this might be a very long parting with Inui. He might not be able to see him ever again. _

_He couldn't bring himself to tell Inui that, and he forced a smile on his face at seeing Inui's cheerful expression. When they played against one another, Yanagi put his heart into the game, wanting it to be a final memory between the two of them. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by their coach before they could finish the game. After the game, Yanagi caught sight of Inui's eyes- twin emeralds. He smiled to himself, consoled that at least he could have a memory of those eyes to take with him when he left. _

_Inui then asked a very unexpected question._

"_Renji. Let's always be doubles partners. Forever."_

_Yanagi looked down at the ground, trying to stop the moisture now gathering in his eyes. It was a promise he wanted to make, but at the same time, it was a promise he could not keep. "Sadaharu…forgive me…"_

_He ran. Ran from Inui. Ran from his crush. Ran from the memories. He wanted to seal it all off, to forget it all so that he could start school life all over again. He wanted to forget it all, because remembering would make him start hurting._

_Yanagi knew, deep down, that that was impossible though. He would never be able to forget._

XXXXXXXXX

_The years went by. Yanagi graduated from elementary school and enrolled in Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, a school well known for its all-rounder achievement. It was a bonus point that Rikkai was also well known for its tennis club too._

_It was at that school, Yanagi was fortunate enough to meet the soft-spoken Yukimura Seiichi, and later he met the stern, poker-faced Sanada Genichirou too. These two quickly became his close friends, all drawn to each other by their obsession of tennis. They made school life happy for him, and Seiichi was one of his closest friends, and one which he confided in most. It was a good thing too. Yanagi would go insane if he had only his notebook to confide in. He spoke to Seiichi about a lot of things, and the blue-haired boy managed to pry from him his elementary school life too. Yanagi told him about Inui, and Yukimura was the one who guessed that Yanagi had a crush on the boy, even though Yanagi tried to cover that up. Yukimura's insight was scary, and he wasn't even a data tennis player._

_Yanagi had most certainly not expected to see Inui again, and definitely not at the junior senbatsu camp. After a round of scouting, he heard that only Seigaku's vice-captain Tezuka, a third year regular, and Seigaku's tensai Fuji was going. He could not believe his eyes when he spotted his old friend hiding in the bushes, and when Inui turned around to look at him, Yanagi knew that he hadn't seen wrong, and feelings he had suppressed began to surface again. _

_They had ended up in the same room. When Yanagi returned, he found Inui asleep on one of the beds. The boy was so tired, he didn't even take off his glasses. As he watched Inui sleep, he had to resist the urge to reach out and remove those glasses. Instead, Yanagi was contented with just standing by Inui's bedside, just watching him._

_Inui had grown a great deal during all those years apart. The shrimpy-looking boy was gone, and now a tall, well-built teen had taken his place. While Inui was still rather fair, it did not in any way make him any less masculine. Heck, Yanagi could see all those abs under the shirt, which had rode up slightly in sleep, exposing quite a lot of skin-_

_Before Yanagi's mind could wander off too far, Inui had opened his eyes at that moment, startling him. The Seigaku data master still held a small grudge against him, and Yanagi felt a twinge of fear. Was he going to lose his friend for real? _

_Inui had forgiven him though, after Yanagi had apologized, and the Rikkai data master felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Inui didn't hate him. It was more than he could ask for. _

_Throughout the whole camp, Yanagi was contented to hang out with the Seigaku data master, happy to return to their elementary schooldays. He was back with his crush. Since it would only be a short while, he wanted to treasure the time as much as possible._

_He was incredibly happy that Inui had enjoyed his presence too, and pleased when Inui went through all that effort to make that juice for him. He had enjoyed Inui's drinks during the entire duration of the camp, so this was a very nice parting gift for him._

_Of course, at that time he hadn't known that that very same parting gift would change his life so drastically. Still, even after he found out, he didn't blame Inui for it._

XXX

_Yanagi gave a soft gasp as he bolted awake, sitting up in his bed as he fought to recover from a VERY vivid dream. His breathing was heavy as he tried to rein in his thoughts, forcing them back with sheer mental strength. He had had dreams like that ever since he reached puberty, but now, nearly two months after discovering he was pregnant, he had been having these dreams almost every night, thanks to all those hormones raging in his body._

_He gave a groan and got out of bed, padding carefully over to the bathroom. A cold shower was a very good idea at the moment. At least it could keep certain unnecessary thoughts at bay. Turning on the water, he shivered as the blast of cold water hit his skin. That had worked, for he was completely awake now. He allowed the water to fall on him for another few more moments before he turned on the hot water too, not wanting to catch a cold in his current condition. _

_Once he was done with the quick shower, he got out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around himself as he did so. He wiped his hair dry as best as he could, then discarded the towel and padded over to the closet for a clean batch of clothes. He halted, however, just when he was putting his shirt on. Glancing down, he could see that the small bump he had gained a few weeks ago had grown in size, and the pregnancy seemed more real to him now, and not a dream as he had hoped it would be when he first found out._

_Yanagi sighed, pulling on the shirt before returning to bed. He lay back against his pillows, running his hands on his stomach in soothing motions. He could remember the day he first found out he was pregnant. First, there was disbelief. This was quickly replaced by fear and panic when he read the report. However, once he found out whose baby it was, another instinct surfaced, the urge to protect. He would fight to keep the child, no matter what, even if he had to keep this secret on his own. Yanagi tried to convince himself that he wanted to keep the child because he felt bad about ending a life before it even had the chance to be born, but he wasn't too sure if his intentions had been that noble. After reflecting on it a little, he had to admit that he did have some ulterior motives for keeping it, a small part of him hoping that by keeping the baby, he could be somewhat closer to its other parent too._

_He also knew, however, that it was only wishful thinking on his part. He had kept it all a secret from Inui after all. He feared rejection. Feared Inui might reject him, or reject the child. Would he still want to keep it if that had happened?_

_When Yukimura came for a visit the next day, Yanagi had dark circles around his eyes. The fellow Rikkai demon frowned, looking concerned. "Are you alright, Renji?"_

_Yanagi forced a smile on his face. "Aa. I am. Thank you for your concern, Seiichi."_

_Yukimura didn't look convinced. He poured a cup of tea for Yanagi and passed it to the Rikkai data master. Yanagi took it after giving his thanks before taking a sip. Yukimura picked up his cup of tea too, but paused for a moment with the cup hovering 4.2 inches from his lips._

_"I've been meaning to ask, Renji. That baby...it's Inui-san's, isn't it?"_

_Yanagi stiffened. After a while, he decided that it shouldn't hurt if Yukimura knew, and slowly, he gave a nod._

_Yukimura gave a light cough. "So...urm...you and Inui-san had...and after that this baby..."_

_Yanagi caught on to what the blue-haired demon was trying to say, and he turned a slight shade of red. "No!" He protested. Realizing that he had raised his voice unintentionally, he lowered his voice and spoke again. "No. Sadaharu and I didn't do...anything..." He then proceeded to explain how he had drunk the juice, and how the pregnancy was a result of it._

_Yukimura listened calmly, not saying anything until he had finished. Once he did, the blue-haired guy took his hand, squeezing gently. "Now that I've heard how you have ended up in this condition, I realize that you are stronger than I have initially thought, since you've kept someone who was a result from...well...an accident."_

_"I wonder about that, Seiichi." Yanagi muttered, his free hand going to his stomach. "Was I doing the right thing? I want to keep this baby, yet its future is uncertain. In fact, my own future is uncertain. I am not sure if I can raise this child on my own, yet...I don't want to give it to anyone..."_

_Yukimura patted his shoulder. "As I've said before, you are not alone, Renji. We'll help you pull through this. Also, I believe this baby is tied to you not just physically. It's tied to you because of your feelings to Inui-san, so of course you'd want to keep it. As to whether you have made the right decision, only you will be able to find that answer."_

_Yanagi gave a slow sigh, looking mildly resigned. "I guess you're right." He gave a sad smile. "Sometimes, I do wish Sadaharu were here too though."_

_Yukimura had a determined glint in his eyes. "You should tell him, Renji. It's his baby too. He has a right to know, so..."_

_"No!" Yanagi protested instantly, eyes flying open. He closed his eyes again, an expression of pain filling his usually well-controlled mask. "He mustn't know. He mustn't ever know. He's better off not knowing of its existence. If he does he might blame himself. I don't want that."_

_"Renji..." Yukimura gave him a slight frown. Yukimura didn't like the idea at all, but this was Yanagi's decision to make. Yukimura could not interfere._

XXXXXXXXX

_Yanagi had been extremely nervous the day Inui found out about his condition. His friends had gotten careless, and Inui had found out. Then again, who was Yanagi trying to kid? Inui was an excellent data master. He was going to find out sooner or later anyway._

_The rejection he had feared never came to pass. In fact, Inui continued to treat him so kindly, it helped to dispel some of the fear Yanagi initially had. He remembered being rather touched when Inui bought the plushie for the unborn child. It was a very kind gesture to the baby, and at that time, Inui hadn't even known that it was his. Yanagi could remember feeling rather guilty at hiding the baby's parentage from Inui. _

_However, he wasn't willing to disclose that bit of information to Inui, afraid that instead of rejection, Inui would go into denial instead. He didn't think his already stressed out mind would be able to take it if Inui had denied that the child was his._

_He was truly afraid that Inui would never want to see him again when he had gotten emotional that one time and blurted the secret out. For a few days, Inui hadn't dropped by for a visit and Yanagi believed that it was the end of their friendship. To his surprise, Inui had returned after that, and looked pretty calm, showing no signs of denial. _

_He was, however, not at all happy when Inui tried to pity him. He scowled. It wasn't Inui's pity he wanted, but something else. _

_Things went worse from there. Inui continued to be so caring and so concerned that Yanagi couldn't help falling for him all over again. That would be crushed, however, when Inui clarified later. He was doing everything for the baby, and only the baby. It was torture, being treated so nicely to the point that there was always this sense of hope deep in him, yet that hope would be crushed every time Inui mentioned that it was only because of the baby, because he was feeling responsible. If that wasn't bad enough, that junior 'Kaidou' then came into the picture, and Inui had never seemed so far out of Yanagi's reach before. _

_There were times when Yanagi was so stressed out that instead of the love he usually felt for his unborn child, he'd feel a sense of hatred towards it instead, angry that Inui was caring more for it than for him, the parent. Moments later, however, he'd feel extremely guilty about it. How could he be jealous of his own child? He was such a horrible parent._

_He disliked Kaidou more and more too, not at all happy that Inui was returning late because of his 'study sessions' with Kaidou. Even with such long study sessions, that Kaidou still made so many phone calls to their home. Yanagi didn't say anything though. What would Inui think of him if he made such complaints? He had no right to be jealous. Inui wasn't his anyway. He kept everything inside, and pent up all his frustrations, all gathered over the weeks._

_The worst was when Inui had been gone the whole day. Yanagi's mind conjured what Inui might be doing with this 'Kaidou-kun' and he didn't like the mental image at all. That day, the doctor had given him an ultrasound scan to check on the health of his baby, yet Inui was not around to see it too._

_Yanagi looked on in amazement as the doctor pointed out the baby to him, indicating parts that were supposed to be hands and feet. (After analyzing the parts, Yanagi concluded that it did somewhat look like hands and feet to him). When the doctor asked whether Yanagi wanted to know the baby's gender, Yanagi had shaken his head. No point knowing if Inui wasn't even around to see it._

_He was extremely depressed for the rest of the day after that. Inui arrived home very late, and had given a rather lame excuse for it. Yanagi gritted his teeth and endured it, even when that Kaidou-kun called again._

_Then it happened. The stress-induced contractions. The pain which filled Yanagi with a wild fear that he might be losing his child. It was an episode of his life he would never want to go through again, and the relief when the contraction passed was indescribable. _

_That made Yanagi realize something. He loved the child more than anything at that moment. He loved Inui, but Inui had made it clear time and again that he was straight. There was no way Inui would want to have anything to do with him, a male. He was having false hopes with his longing for Inui's attention. It was something he would never get. He would never have Inui._

_On the other hand, the baby was his to keep. At least if he had the baby, he could have a small part of Inui that was his. That one episode made him realize that if he lost the baby, he'd truly have lost everything._

_From that moment onwards, Yanagi decided to give up on his feelings. He would try to remain as calm as possible, and try not to give himself so much false hopes anymore. The stress wouldn't be good for his baby. _

XXXXXXXXX

Now...Yanagi didn't know what to think anymore. Just when he had given up on his feelings, and settled for them being just friends, Inui had...kissed him...

Yanagi had been stunned. Too stunned to even make a sound, or even react, not sure of how he should interpret Inui's actions since the latter hadn't shown any signs of having any feelings for him. He didn't know if he should allow himself to hope again, or was Inui only acting in the spur of the moment, too hormone-charged after seeing Niou and Yagyuu make out on the screen.

Before Yanagi could react, or maybe even respond to the kiss, Inui had pulled away and fled. The Seigaku data master had been avoiding him ever since, and Yanagi was left in confusion.

Yanagi gritted his teeth. All this stress was most certainly not good for the baby. He could do without getting a relapse of those false contractions again. Coming to a decision, he got to his feet carefully, heading out of the room to look for Inui. He wanted to clear things up with the Seigaku data master. Did Inui like him, or was Yanagi to give up hoping? This time, it would be for real.

XXXXXXXXX

Inui stood rooted on the spot, his eyes still on the diary, but no longer reading it. Yanagi liked him...here Inui was, getting all frustrated with trying to get Yanagi to notice him, going through the dilemma of realizing he was gay, and apparently Yanagi had liked him all along...

Inui supposed that he should feel happy about it. After all, his feelings towards Yanagi weren't unreturned. However, he didn't feel joy at all. On the contrary, anger welled in him. Why did Yanagi hide all these from him? Why had Yanagi never told him anything, and he had to find out this way?

"Sadaharu?" Speak of the devil, he could hear Yanagi calling out for him, probably wondering where he was.

"I'm over here." Inui replied curtly.

Yanagi walked into the study. He paled instantly when he recognized the book Inui was holding in his hands. Moving with agility heavily pregnant people shouldn't be having, Yanagi was next to Inui in an instant, snatching the notebook out of his hands.

"...You didn't bother to tell me anything..." Inui muttered.

He turned to Yanagi, his green eyes flashing behind his glasses. "You didn't say a word when you first ran away years ago. You didn't say anything about the pregnancy when you ran away again. You hid the baby's parentage from me. You hid everything from me! I had to find everything out on my own!" His anger mounted. "And here I was wondering what had caused you all that stress to make you have those contractions! And here I was going out of my mind because I'm attracted to a guy! Why have you kept everything from me?"

Yanagi gave a bitter laugh. "What was I supposed to think, Sadaharu? You made it so clear that you're straight."

"That doesn't give you the right to decide what I'm better off not knowing about!" Inui glared, feeling betrayed by his friend, who seemed fine with telling everyone about his condition except him.

Yanagi gave him a cold stare in return. "And have you pity me after knowing everything? You've done a good job at that, Sadaharu."

It ended up in an argument. Both were feeling betrayed. One because the other had been keeping secrets from him, and the other because his secrets had been blown to bits against his permission.

Inui decided that there was no point for him staying any longer in that room. Their conversation was going nowhere. He spun on his heels and stormed out. He thought he heard Yanagi give a sharp intake of breath, but he didn't care about that.

He strode over to the door and opened it. Before he could step out, he could hear Yanagi call out to him again.

"Where are you going...Sadaharu...?" The other data master asked.

Inui's glasses glinted. "I am not obliged to tell you that." He stepped out of the house.

Even as he shut the door, he could hear Yanagi's pain-filled voice.

"No! Sadaharu! Don't go..."

The door slid shut, and Inui walked away from the house in swift steps, away from Yanagi.

To be continued...

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Mew**, yeah. Inui is a headache. :p

**Data Pair Lover**, not just yet. Read on and you'll see. (grins)

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 12

Inui walked swiftly away from the house, his head still filled with the feelings of betrayal. He headed nowhere in particular, allowing his feet to do the thinking instead as he just continued to walk on aimlessly.

The short walk did wonders. In the house, he was unable to think clearly since he was staying in the same place with the one he liked, and the sight of Yanagi was enough to fill his head with thoughts which continued to confuse him, and to frustrate him at the same time.

He had unwittingly wandered over to the street tennis courts, his favourite haunt for checking on the data he collected, and also the place where he watched the beginners and learners play. There was no data to be collected from seeing the novices play, but their game usually brought a sense of peace to Inui, seeing their happy faces as they tried, and failed to catch the ball. Yet they continued to smile, even if the game was lost. The competitiveness and bitter rivalry had yet to set in at that age, and Inui surmised that it was these beginners who knew the true happiness tennis could bring. Watching them, he was reminded of how his passion for tennis began, and somehow, no matter how down he felt, he'd always be lightened by it.

The group playing that time was a bunch of young elementary schoolchildren. They seemed very new at tennis, for they were getting all the rules of the game wrong. Inui's lips twitched slightly as they got the swing, the grip, and even the serve all wrong.

Somehow, that reminded Inui of a suppressed memory.

_"No, Sadaharu. That's not how Data Tennis should be like. You're not supposed to just focus on one target. You need to be aware of your surroundings. Include everything in your calculations, and look for possibilities to score." Yanagi chided him when Inui accidentally allowed an opening for Yanagi to score._

Inui gave a groan. "This is too difficult, Renji. Maybe I'm not cut out for Data Tennis after all."

"Nonsense. You're saying that because you're still new at this. Given time, you might even surpass me." Yanagi smiled.

Inui gave him a weak laugh. "I find that a little hard to imagine, Renji."

Inui's thoughts were cut short when a ball hit him in the head. One of those novices came over, looking apologetic. "Gomen, onii-chan. Could you toss that ball back?"

"Ah. Sure." He threw the ball back to the boy, making sure to calculate the speed properly so that he would be able to catch it.

The four continued their game. One of them managed to pick up the basics rather quickly, and the others cheered when he managed to do a proper serve without missing the ball and hitting his own head.

"You did it! You did it! Sugoi!"

_"You did it, Sadaharu! That was excellent data tennis!"_

Inui grinned sheepishly at Yanagi's slightly excited tone, which was rare for the usually calm boy. Yanagi was usually quite expressionless, but this time, he seemed delighted.

"It's thanks to you, Renji. I don't think I'd have made it without you. I'm so sorry for dragging you out so often for my practices." Inui told him, feeling bad for taking up so much of Yanagi's free time.

The brunette shook his head. "Not at all. I like having tennis practices with you. I'm glad though. Now I have a fellow data tennis player in the club."

He held out a hand to Inui. "Now then, let's make our doubles team the strongest amongst the schools. What do you say, Sadaharu? We'll become Rishun Elementary's Data Pair."

"Data Pair?" Inui repeated, chuckling.

Yanagi frowned slightly. "You don't like it? Ah well, then…"

"No, Renji, I do like it." Inui reassured quickly.

Yanagi beamed. He waved his extended hand before Inui slightly. "Come, let's shake hands on it. It's a promise, Sadaharu."

"Aa." Inui reached out and shook Yanagi's hand. 

Another ball connected with his skull. Inui gave an inward groan. Couldn't he actually return to memory lane in peace?

"Be more careful." He told them, throwing the ball back. He got up from his seat and was about to leave when one of those elementary school students approached him again.

"Anou…onii-chan. Have you played tennis before?" He asked tentatively.

Inui turned around, staring down at the boy, who was so many heads shorter than him. "Aa, I have." He calculated a 90.7 percent chance they were going to ask him to join in.

Surely enough, the boy's eyes brightened, and Inui found himself staring down at a pair of wide, sparkly orbs. "Then can you join us, onii-chan?"

Inui thought about it a while. He was still slightly resentful towards Yanagi hiding so much from him, so he didn't feel like going back so early anyway. He had time to kill, and decided that it shouldn't be a problem if he joined in.

He made sure to tone down all his shots, hitting normal returns as he focused on defense instead of offense. No point slaughtering a bunch of beginners anyway.

Seeing their happy laughter as they raced after the shots, a wistful smile found its way to Inui's face. Back then, he was this happy too, just being able to play tennis with Yanagi, when their friendship revolved just around tennis, and nothing else. At that time, feelings hadn't existed to complicate their relationship. When had it all become so complicated between them anyway?

He paused at that thought. No. Back then feelings had been involved, and if he remembered what Yanagi had kept from him, apparently the latter had liked him for quite a long time, while Inui was oblivious to his own feelings. The Seigaku data master found himself wishing he had never read Yanagi's diary. At least he was happier when he remained oblivious.

The rally with the elementary schoolchildren lasted only 10 minutes and 34 seconds, just as Inui had calculated. They wouldn't be able to play for long if they were so new to this sport.

The four seemed to instantly take him as some kind of idol, as they sat around him while they tried to catch their breath. It was always the same boy talking to him though, and Inui found that boy scooting closer again.

"You're really good, onii-chan. You must have had a lot of practice." He gushed.

"Mm…somewhat." Inui told him. 'On a near daily basis.' He added in his mind.

"Did you learn all these by yourself?" Another seemed to have finally gathered enough courage to ask him. All four moved closer at that, eager to hear what an experienced tennis player had to say.

"Aa." He thought about that for a while. "Though a friend of mine had taught me tennis too."

"Sugoi! What's your friend's name?" Good grief. Were children always this inquisitive?

"Yanagi." Inui told them.

All of them searched their heads for a moment. Inui calculated a 65 percent chance that they were trying to think of any pro tennis players by the name of 'Yanagi'. He would have done that if he had been new to the sport too.

"Yanagi? Never heard of this person before. But if Yanagi-san had taught you tennis, I'm sure you must be close."

Inui went quiet at that. Inwardly, he gave a bitter laugh. Yeah. They were close alright. So close, in fact, that his dear friend wouldn't tell him anything, preferring to keep so many secrets from him.

A small voice in Inui's head chided him immediately. He was not in a position to be angry at Yanagi. Hadn't he also kept a lot from his friend? If he recalled, Yanagi had suffered a lot from his silence too. That guy actually thought that he was with Kaidou, of all people! Inui admitted that he did think of Kaidou as a very good kouhai, and he knew that Kaidou respected him too, which was why he consulted him so often when the junior had any questions. There had been nothing more than that, but as Inui wasn't completely honest with his friend, Yanagi had completely misinterpreted.

Inui sighed. No. They were both at fault for this complete fiasco. It would be unfair of him to put the blame completely on Yanagi.

"You're both….not close?" The boy asked carefully, seemingly frightened by Inui's silence.

Inui smiled down at him. "My friend…is the most important person to me." That was perhaps one of the most honest statements he had made in a long time. He had let off some steam during the match just now, and his feelings for Yanagi were able to flow freely again.

He straightened up. "Well then, I will have to take my leave now." He told them. He needed to apologize to the Rikkai data master.

After leaving the street tennis courts, Inui glanced down at his watch. Apparently only two hours had passed, even though he felt like he had been away from the house much longer. Inui gave a soft chuckle. To think that Yanagi had that kind of effect on him.

Inui decided to get something for his friend as an apology. He dropped by a bookstore on his way back, perusing for a few books Yanagi might be interested in. After snatching a few titles (which had a summary that caught his eye), he was about to head off when another section had caught his interest.

This section had books on childcare, and Inui had a feeling that the books would come very handy in the future. He was still wondering which books to buy when he noticed a middle-aged lady staring at him.

"What is a person your age doing in this section?" she asked.

Inui could feel cold sweat trickling down the back of his head at her suspicious stare. His mind worked to come up with an excuse. "Well…my…cousin will be having a baby, and h-she asked me to look for some books on this."

At that, the lady relaxed a little. "I see. You're such a nice person, to help your cousin out. Here, I'm sure these will help her." The lady started pulling books and magazines at a pace which made Inui's vision blur. Inui left it to her, having a feeling that this lady was probably experienced in matters like these. She soon presented a small stack of baby books to him.

Inui gave her a bow, while carefully balancing the books in his arms. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Ah, one more thing. Has your cousin thought of a name for her baby yet?" She asked.

At her words, Inui realized that he had forgotten something very important. He did not think of a name for his child. He was such a horrible parent!

"No." He admitted sheepishly.

The lady turned her attention back to the shelves and pulled out another book. "Here. This is a guide for baby names. Your cousin might want to read through this to see if she can find a name she'd like."

Inui gave her a grateful glance. "Thank you so much." He said, giving her another bow.

Once he left the store with his newly purchased books, Inui threw another glance at his watch. That was another half an hour gone. He headed home, trying to come up with a proper apology to his friend.

Yanagi would probably not want to speak to him, considering he had left on such a sour note. Inui braced himself for the cold war his friend might wage against him, even as he opened the door and stepped into the house.

He was, however, not prepared for the fist which greeted his sight…

XXX

"TARUNDORU!" Sanada roared, backhanding Inui the minute he stepped through the door. The force of the blow had sent Inui sprawling to the floor.

Inui was too stunned to react, even as Sanada seized him by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "Just where the hell have you been? Haven't we specifically mentioned that at least one person has to be around Yanagi at all times?" The Rikkai vice-captain snarled, so livid that he looked like he was in danger of popping a vein.

"Wha-?" Inui gaped at him in confusion, not understanding what was going on. He looked around and noticed the other three around him, all wearing somber expressions. All of them were here…except one…

"Where is Renji?" He asked.

Sanada had drawn back his fist, and was about to hit him again when Yukimura suddenly caught his hand. "Enough, Genichirou. He doesn't know."

The Rikkai captain turned to him, his face unsmiling. "Renji…is in labour. The surgeon is tending to him now."

"Surgeon?" Inui repeated stupidly, his mind still too unfocused from both the blow to his head and the confusion.

Atobe gave a snort. "Tezuka. Your team's data master really needs to attend health class more often. Do you think there is any other exit for the baby?" He directed the last sentence at Inui.

It was only then did the severity of the situation strike him. Inui swallowed, his senses finally returning to him. "For…how long…?"

Sanada made a lunge for him, one which failed because Yukimura maintained his hold. "We do not know. He was already in labour when Tezuka found him."

Inui felt his blood turn cold. Yanagi might have gone into labour right after he left.

Tezuka gave him a solemn stare. "It was a good thing I had dropped by to give you the homework you left behind at school..."

_"Inui, It's me." Tezuka called out when no one answered the door. He waited a few more moments, but when no one came to open the door, he gave a sigh and pulled out his set of keys. Atobe had given each of the five a copy anyway._

He swung open the door. "Inui? Yanagi?" He frowned to himself. Was Inui taking a shower or something? He walked a few more steps, heading towards either of their rooms, when he froze.

For Yanagi was sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

Tezuka reacted instantly. "Yanagi!" He scooped up the unconscious boy, putting him on the couch. Very quickly, he snatched his phone out of his pocket and dialed Atobe's number, followed on by Sanada's and Yukimura's. After explaining the situation, he went looking for Inui again.

"He's...not here..." A weak voice spoke up. Yanagi seemed to have regained consciousness.

Tezuka made his way the couch. "Where is he?"

Yanagi shook his head. He gave a sudden cry of pain, clutching his stomach.

Tezuka wasn't too sure if these were false contractions, or was it the real thing this time. "How long has this been going on?" He asked.

"Quite...a while..." Yanagi looked like he was going to pass out again. Tezuka had a sinking feeling it wasn't those Braxton Hicks contractions. Yanagi was going to have the baby.

He scooped the ailing teen into his arms, deciding that the bed was a better place than the couch for him now. "You'll be alright. I've already called Atobe. He'll be sending his doctors over." Tezuka whispered, trying to encourage him.

Yanagi shook his head. "Too...late...tell Sadaharu...I'm sorry...tell him I'm sorry...for hiding everything...from him." Tezuka could feel the Rikkai data master shudder as another contraction passed. When he opened his eyes again, he looked like he had given up completely. "If I don't make it... don't let Sadaharu...blame himself... it's not his fault..." Yanagi became silent as he passed out again.

Tezuka had only just finished recalling what had happened when the sounds of crying rang through the house. The five teens froze, instantly alert as they recognized the sounds. The crying went on for a good few minutes, and Inui felt relief surge through him.

Abruptly, however, the crying ceased, and the relief fled too, replaced instantly by fear. It felt like an eternity to Inui, just waiting there, not knowing what was going on in the room. After a long while, the surgeon exited the room, heading towards the five teens. All five weren't looking at the surgeon though, as their eyes were fixed on the tiny white bundle in his arms. The surgeon's face was solemn as he stopped before Inui, holding out the bundle.

"It's a girl."

Inui's gaze was fixed on the tiny face. A daughter...he had a daughter... The words repeated itself in his head, even as he studied her sleeping features closely. If she had been the one making the racket just now, she certainly didn't look like the culprit now, with her expression so peaceful.

Very tentatively, Inui reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against the baby's cheeks. She was warm...and her skin was so soft...too soft! He withdrew his hand quickly, almost afraid that he might injure her.

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Inui. You can hold her." The voice was gentle...most likely Yukimura's.

Inui swallowed, the uncertainty still present in the green eyes hidden behind his glasses. He glanced up, searching the doctor's face for permission. All he saw there was impatience, as the doctor continued to hold the baby out to Inui.

At long last, Inui held out his hands, allowing the doctor to place the baby in his arms. She was much lighter than Inui had thought, and her tiny, towel-covered form was nowhere near the length of his arm. This was the first time Inui had seen a human being this small. He cradled her carefully, hoping beyond anything that he wouldn't have any miscalculations. She was very fragile, so much so that Inui couldn't help feeling slightly afraid of her.

The newborn was completely oblivious to her father's distress, as she slumbered on quietly, making herself perfectly at home in the arms of her human cradle. Inui watched the sleeping face for a while longer. It was only after the feeling of wonder at his daughter's birth had worn off before Inui looked up at the doctor again, remembering one other important individual.

"H-how is he?" Inui asked.

The doctor's serious face had, if possible, turned more severe, as his frown turned down. "He's not conscious. He had lost a lot of blood during the birth, and he had some internal injury from the contractions..."

The doctor's lips continued to move, but Inui could no longer hear him. He knew, even if the doctor didn't tell him, that Yanagi's condition wasn't good at all. His hands started shaking badly, even as an odd fog filled his mind. Vaguely, he could hear voices around him, but he couldn't make out what the voices were saying.

With the last bit of his rationality, Inui deposited his daughter into the arms of the nearest individual around him (Atobe's), not trusting himself to be able to hold her any longer. Once he had done that, he made a mad dash towards Yanagi's room, not heeding the yells of his name.

When he opened the door, he staggered slightly, his eyes instantly taking in the blood-stained sheets, the crimson a strong contrast to the pale person now lying unmoving on the bed. Numbly, Inui approached the bed, not believing his eyes as his brain struggled to give him commands, but his mind was too numb to process any of it. This couldn't be the same person he had seen this morning. This couldn't be him at all! Yanagi was ghostly pale, and Inui shuddered as he took in the sight of all that lifeblood staining the sheets.

He didn't know when had he fallen to his knees before his friend's bedside, and he didn't know when had he taken his friend's hand. Inui grasped Yanagi's hand tightly, as if the gesture could somehow make the scene before him unreal.

"Renji..." He called out his friend's name. Needless to say, he received no response.

Inui continued to stare at him numbly, not releasing his grip even as he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, Inui." He heard Tezuka's voice.

He stared up at them, studying their faces. Tezuka's solemn expression met him, as did Sanada's serious face. The doctor too remained unsmiling.

"Let him go, Inui." Sanada told him.

A foreign sound, a choked sob met his ears, and it took Inui's subconscious mind a while to realize that he had made it. Another sob escaped him as his defenses broke down, and the sorrow broke through his self-control.

He had killed his friend...the person he loved most...

To be continued...

A/N: (Evil laughter)

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Data Pair Lover**, lol. Very outspoken.

**Lillian**, oh don't worry. The worst of the angst is almost done. After this it'll be more fluff-based. :p

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 13

Inui was inconsolable, as he wept quietly by his friend's bedside, clinging to his hand tightly. Yanagi remained unresponsive, and Inui wept for his friend, who lost his life because of his stupidity. Mourned that he had hurt Yanagi during his last moments of life.

_"Sadaharu! Don't go..." _ Those were Yanagi's last words, and Inui had done just that. He had abandoned Yanagi when the latter needed him most, and now, he'd never be able to make it up to his friend ever again.

Inui had not cried like this in a long time. He hadn't cried when his Inui Juice ended up poisoning his favourite pet hamster. He hadn't cried when his notebook was stolen, and a lot of invaluable data was lost. But now...he wept bitterly, not caring that he was a teenage _male_ with his pride to defend.

"Inui, let him go..." Tezuka tried to pull him back to his feet, away from Yanagi.

Inui shoved him aside, his eyes now similar to that of a madman's. "No...no..." He refused to leave Yanagi, even if it was too late now.

He turned to that pale face, and wept some more, holding Yanagi's hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry, Renji. I'm so sorry. It's entirely my fault. It's entirely my fault!"

Atobe had been standing near the door with Inui's daughter, and the newborn seemed to have sensed the atmosphere. She woke instantly and began screaming her lungs out.

The diva looked completely flustered, unsure of what to do as the baby continued to bawl. "Oi, Inui. Enough! You're scaring your daughter." He glanced around, silently requesting for help.

Yukimura went over, taking the baby. "I don't think it's a wise idea for us to let her remain in this room. Let's bring her outside."

"Aa. Ore-sama will ask the servants to have some milk ready for her. " Atobe declared, glad to have a reason to flee from the Seigaku data master.

Once Atobe and Yukimura had left the room with the baby, Sanada and Tezuka exchanged looks. Tezuka tried to speak to the data master again.

"Inui. You wouldn't be able to do much for him even if you remain here. Let's go. Your daughter needs you." He tried to get Inui to leave. However, Inui had latched on to Yanagi's arm so tightly, if Tezuka tried to detach Inui from Yanagi, he might as well have just detached Yanagi's arm too.

Inui was in his own world, barely hearing Tezuka call him. He continued to call his friend's name, repeating it over and over again like a mantra, as his brain continued to reject the idea of his friend's demise.

He didn't know what possessed him, and at that time, he was not in the clear mind to ponder over his bahaviour anyway. The Seigaku data master wished nothing more than to turn back time, wished to return to that morning. This time, he wouldn't have left his friend to suffer alone.

After a while, once Inui had let out most of his pent up grief, reality started to sink back into his mind. His friend was never coming back.

There was a gentle squeeze on his hand, probably Tezuka, trying to persuade him to leave again. This was followed on by a soft groan.

"Sadaharu...are you trying to wake the dead?"

Inui's head whipped up so fast, his neck cricked.

Before him, Yanagi looked very much alive, and his eyes were open, watching Inui quietly. He gave Inui's hand another squeeze for reassurance.

A wild surge of joy filled him, and Inui reached out, touching the Rikkai data master's face lightly. "You're awake…Renji."

"As you can see, you woke me up." Yanagi replied dryly. He sank back further against his pillows. "I wish to rest, Sadaharu." He spoke tiredly, looking like it was taking quite a lot of effort to even keep his eyes open.

"A-Aa." Inui finally got to his feet. It didn't take very long for Yanagi to drop off to sleep again.

XXX

"So Yanagi has finally convinced this fool that he's not dying?" Atobe threw Inui a smirk once the three left the room.

Inui buried his face behind one of his notebooks, too embarrassed to say anything to that. He jumped to conclusions too fast, and completely misunderstood the surgeon's words, thinking that Yanagi passed away when the Rikkai data master was actually just resting.

"Takku. Tarundoru! That's why I said to leave him alone. Poor Yanagi can't even rest in peace." Sanada frowned at him.

Yukimura laughed lightly. "Gen. You might want to rephrase your words or Inui might misunderstand again."

"You've gotten careless. Haven't you heard what the doctor said? He had just mentioned that Yanagi was unconscious because he was sedated for the C-section, and the next thing we knew you have already taken off." Tezuka spoke up.

"Impressive though. You've actually caused such a racket to pull a sedated guy back to a conscious state, ahn?" Atobe smirked again.

Inui wanted to bury himself somewhere. What was he to think, when he saw all their solemn faces like that?

He paused in his thoughts. Nope. Tezuka and Sanada were always this poker faced, and it was just his luck the doctor was too. He was completely conned by them.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Yanagi-san has lost quite a lot of blood, as I have mentioned before the…interruption. It will take him a while to recover, but if we can find a donor for him, he might be able to speed up the recovery process.

"A donor?" Yukimura repeated.

Inui shook his head. "I can't be included. I'm AB. Renji's an A type."

At that, three people exchanged looks.

"I'm an A type." Sanada was the first to speak up.

"Me too." Yukimura joined in.

"Hmph. Ore-sama too, but my royal blood should not be for peasants." Atobe spoke up, trying to cover for his discomfort over the idea of being pricked by a needle.

"What kind of a statement is that?" Sanada snarled, looking ready to start another war with the diva.

"Calm down, calm down. I'll..." Yukimura had barely spoken up when Sanada rounded on him next.

"Don't even think about it, Seiichi. Your body is not fit enough for a blood donation." The Rikkai vice-captain stated, looking concerned.

Tezuka sighed. "I'll be the donor." He spoke up.

All three turned to look at him. "I'm an O-type. The universal donor category." He said calmly.

The doctor nodded at that. "Very well. We'll check to see if your blood is compatible, and if we need anymore, we'll take from you too." He pointed at Sanada.

Inui looked immensely grateful. "Thank you, Tezuka."

"Hn." The Seigaku captain said nothing more as he followed the doctor to have a blood check.

XXX

Inui sat by Yanagi's bedside, reading through one of the books he had purchased earlier on. His daughter slept in a makeshift cot next to him, while her other parent remained on the bed, having yet to awaken as he recovered from the birth. The bloodstained sheets were removed earlier on, replaced by a fresh, clean batch of bed sheets.

The other four were staying for the night too. Inui had invited Tezuka to stay as thanks for the blood donation, Sanada invited himself to stay (Inui couldn't blame him for the distrust, considering the scare he caused with his foolishness), and Yukimura stayed to make sure Sanada didn't go homicidal on Inui. As for Atobe...he was staying to make sure his property remained undamaged, or so he said.

With the guests, the room arrangements were made immediately. There were four bedrooms in total. Yanagi occupied one, leaving three rooms down to be split between five people. Atobe insisted on having a room to himself, Yukimura reassured Inui that he and Sanada would be fine sharing one room, and Inui gave his room to Tezuka, insisting he'd be fine on the couch.

They have had dinner earlier on, and all of them retired to their respective bedrooms for the night, either to finish their homework, or to prepare for bed. Inui made sure his daughter was fed and changed before he headed over to Yanagi's bedroom, wanting to watch over the Rikkai data master a while before he himself went to sleep.

Occasionally, Inui threw his daughter's tiny form a glance, reaching out and tucking the blankets around her from time to time. Like most new parents, Inui found himself extremely watchful over her, and even the slightest twitch she made would command his full attention.

Being a newborn, however, she remained quite still, hardly moving in her sleep. As Inui watched her, he allowed himself to reflect on some of the day's experience.

His daughter needed a name. Earlier on, everyone had been addressing the newborn as 'she', and Yukimura was the first to come up with a nickname for her- 'aka-chan'. However, Sanada protested at that, feeling that it made her sound too similar to the Rikkai devil Akaya. Yukimura then changed the name to 'baby-chan', and the nickname had stuck ever since. Inui knew that he had to come up with a proper name for her, or his daughter would find herself addressed as 'Baby-chan' for the rest of her life.

A crack of thunder sounded outside, and Inui looked up, only then realizing that it was raining. Moments later, a soft whimper made him glance over to the cot. His daughter was startled, and the now awake baby began to cry.

Inui set his book down immediately and scooped the tiny baby out of her cot. He held her close to himself, remembering that babies were soothed by their parents' body warmth, whispering to her softly as he bounced her lightly in his arms, trying to coax her to sleep. He didn't really know what to say to a baby this young, so he just droned on and on, giving her a complete report on all the data he had ever collected, speaking of complicated angles and speed.

It worked, as the baby quieted almost immediately. She stopped squirming and went back to sleep, her breathing even. Inui didn't feel like putting her in her cot just yet, as he continued to rock her in his arms, gazing down at that sleeping face.

A name came to his mind, one he remembered from the book. Yuina. 'Yui' meant 'to bind', and thinking of it, this baby had somewhat been the person to bring both he and Yanagi closer. If they hadn't been forced to stay under the same roof for a period of time, they probably wouldn't have realized each other's feelings, and Yanagi's feelings towards Inui would be unrequited, as Inui would be too busy being in denial. As for the 'na' in her name, it meant 'vegetables'. This baby's conception was thanks to that vegetable juice in the first place anyway.

Inui gazed down at his daughter again and sighed. No. He really didn't have the right to be the one to name her. He had been a jerk to both her and Yanagi when he turned his back to them. Inui had no idea if Yanagi still had feelings for him after everything he had done, and he didn't even know how he should apologize to the other data master. Somehow, no amount of apology seemed enough.

He threw another glance in Yanagi's direction, and to his surprise, the Rikkai data master's eyes were open. Yanagi was watching both him and their daughter quietly with a small smile on his face, and Inui could only guess how long he had been awake already.

"Renji, you're awake!" Inui could hardly keep the happiness out of his voice.

Yanagi gave him a tired smile. "Aa. I was awake when I heard the sounds of crying." His eyes remained fixed on the bundle in Inui's arms. "So that's..."

Inui then remembered that Yanagi hadn't had a proper look at their daughter yet, even after all that trouble he had gone through.

He got off the chair and went over to Yanagi, placing the baby next to him carefully. "It's a girl." He said softly.

Yanagi's eyes were instantly fixed on her face, as he reached out and touched her tiny features, tracing the shape of her face with his fingers. He put his arm around her tiny form, drawing her closer to himself. A smile found its way to his face as he watched her. "She's beautiful, Sadaharu." He spoke quietly, his voice filled with emotions for the baby.

"Aa. I look forward to recording her data when she gets older." Inui fidgeted uncomfortably, not sure if he would be able to phrase the words right. "Renji...I'm very sorry for being such a jerk earlier on. It was wrong of me to intrude on your privacy and accuse you of being secretive...when I had being doing the same to you all these times. I'm sorry."

Yanagi was quiet for a while, as he continued to stroke the baby's cheek. Eventually he looked up. "Apology accepted." He said curtly.

There was a short moment of silence as Yanagi continued to study the baby's features, the small smile seemingly quite permanent on his face. Inui kept quiet, allowing Yanagi to bond with their daughter.

"Have you thought of a name for her?" The Rikkai data master asked abruptly.

Inui was surprised by that. Yanagi wanted him to be the one to name their daughter?

"Aa...but...shouldn't you be the one to name her? I..."

"Don't deserve to be the one to give her a name, was what you wanted to say right?" Yanagi looked up and met Inui's gaze. His eyes slid back to their half-closed state. "I would like you to be the one to name her."

Inui felt a surge of happiness at that. He also felt a twinge of guilt, for him being such a jerk when Yanagi had been so kind to him all along. He stared at the baby. There was a 79 percent chance their daughter would be taking after Yanagi's surname. He vaguely wondered if the name he thought of would sound nice for her.

"Yuina." He gave the name he had in mind. Yanagi Yuina...would that sound odd?

"Yuina." Yanagi looked thoughtful for a while as he turned the name over in his head. He patted the baby lightly. "That sounds nice. Inui Yuina."

Inui blinked. Yanagi didn't just allow her to be named by him, but he actually allowed her to take after Inui's surname too? It didn't tally with his data at all.

Yanagi studied his reaction and frowned. "You don't like it?"

"Ah no...I mean. I do. I do like it. I'm glad, Renji. Thank you." Inui found himself babbling as he was filled with a strange surge of happiness. He hadn't picked the wrong name for his daughter after all. Somehow, with Yanagi giving their daughter Inui's surname, it felt like a bond had formed between them. Inui vaguely thought that they seemed somewhat like a family now that Yanagi had indirectly invited him into their lives.

Yanagi chuckled good-naturedly. He gazed down at their daughter once more. "She'll be sleeping next to me tonight." He spoke cheerily.

Inui nodded. "Aa. I'll be outside if you need me." He moved away from the bed. Before he could reach the door, however, Yanagi had spoken up.

"Outside? What do you mean by outside, Sadaharu?"

Inui turned around. "I'll be sleeping on the couch. That way it will be easier to call for me if you need me."

Yanagi frowned. "Why the couch? Your bedroom is quite near here anyway."

"Ah...about that. Tezuka's sleeping in that one now." Inui admitted.

Yanagi stared at him for a while. "My calculations tell me that all the bedrooms are occupied by the others too."

"Aa. Don't worry, Renji. The couch is fine."

Yanagi said nothing for a while. Wordlessly, he scooted over to one side of the bed, wincing a little as he did so. He picked up the sleeping baby and cradled her in his arms before throwing Inui a meaningful glance. He had left the other side of the bed free, and Inui got the message even though Yanagi hadn't spoken at all.

"No, Renji. It's best if you have the bed to yourself. It's too small for the two of us, and you need sleep more than I do. I..."

"Sadaharu." Yanagi spoke quietly, cutting his protests short.

Inui felt all his defenses die down. He gave a sigh, giving in. Walking over, he carefully slipped under the covers, making sure to keep more space for Yanagi. The bed was bigger than he initially thought, much to his relief.

Yanagi placed their sleeping daughter between them, keeping his arm around her sleeping form. "Good night, Sadaharu." He told the Seigaku data master before settling back against his pillows and closing his eyes.

Inui envied his friend for being so carefree. Inui was extremely aware of the close proximity between them, and he was even more aware of the baby. He remained stiff throughout most of the night, hardly daring to move least he rolled too close to either of them. Thanks to that he had mild insomnia, as he ran through data in his head to get himself to sleep.

Inui sighed. He was thinking too much. He turned over, so that he was now sleeping on his side, and watched Yanagi's features. The brunette breathed softly, his face wearing the same peaceful expression as their daughter's. Both parent and child slept, side by side, and Inui smiled inwardly at that scene.

He continued to watch them, and soon felt the familiar draw of sleep taking him. Contentedly, he closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to drift off to dreamland.

To be continued...

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Mew**, (giggles) I'm glad you like her. Wish I could draw a chibi data pair, but sadly I can't draw to save my life.

**Data Pair Lover**, yeah. The headache's not over yet. Stay tuned for it. (grins)

**kitten**, (nods) Yup. Parenthood shouldn't be too big a problem for them though. After all, they're both data masters.

**tj**, (grins) poor Inui, if the poor guy isn't kicked he's strangled. Here. You can choose to use either this tie or this rope. XD

.

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

Bu: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 14

Inui didn't have much time to ponder over his current relationship with Renji, as both teens soon found their hands full with the addition of their new daughter. Being a newborn, she required at least one of her parents to be with her at all times, and Yanagi took it upon himself to stay with her 24/7. He was under a one month confinement period anyway, since he needed to recover from the birth experience. The Rikkai data master spent his waking moments taking care of the baby and attending his home tutoring classes, and once the baby was asleep, he too stole that precious time to catch up on sleep and allow his body to recover.

Inui insisted on staying in that house for the moment. He had a tight schedule though, having to juggle his time with school, club practice, his part-time job, and going home to Yanagi and Yuina. Tezuka hardly made the data master stay back after practice anymore, knowing his schedule. Inui hardly had time to tutor his protégé, and even if he did, he kept it short. Not that Kaidou really needed his help. The junior was getting more independent now, going through the training menus himself and pushing himself to be a better tennis player. Inui couldn't help feeling slightly proud of his protégé.

Inui's boss had noticed the change in Inui's work attitude. Before, Inui had been quite good at his work, since it was within the field of his strengths. Now, Inui put more vigor into his work, spurred by the knowledge that he was responsible for a new daughter. The boss once gave him a bonus after he had stayed overtime. Inui thanked him warmly, for the extra income was a lifesaver. The boss had chuckled over that, commenting that once Inui graduated from university, he had a high chance of getting a promotion.

Not that Inui would be working for this boss once he graduated. Atobe, had, a few days after Yuina was born, declared that he was giving the double-storey house to the two data masters as Yuina's birthday present, and that he would be acting as a temporary sponsor for her, at least until the two started working and could earn their own income to support their daughter. Right after his 'be awed by ore-sama's generosity' speech, he then pulled Inui aside and mentioned in a not quite subtle way that he wasn't doing all that for free, and was putting it on Inui's tab. Inui was to repay this debt by working in Atobe's company for a number of years after he graduated. Inui agreed to this. He was indebted to the diva after all.

When Inui went home that day, as usual silence greeted him. Once upon a time, Yanagi would have waited up for him, not touching dinner if Inui hadn't eaten yet. Now, however, he no longer had that luxury. When Inui left the house for school, Yanagi would be asleep. When he returned home, Yanagi would also be asleep. Inui couldn't blame him. It wasn't easy taking care of a baby who woke once every three hours.

Inui went to get dinner ready. He found the food still warm. Yanagi might have only just gone to bed not too long ago. After having his dinner, he headed over to Yanagi's room. The brunette was in a deep sleep, and Yuina slept next to him. As Inui walked closer to the two, he noticed dark circles around Yanagi's eyes, signs of a lack of sleep. Inui felt slightly guilty that aside from working, there wasn't much else he could do for either of them.

He sat on a chair, watching Yanagi sleep. He admired Yanagi's maturity. Both of them had to mature, actually. By having a child, both of them had no choice but to grow up beyond their years, to be the adults for the baby. Still, Yanagi would always be more mature than he was, with how he made swift decisions based on Yuina and Inui's best interests, and how he did not make even a word of complaint about it. Yanagi had to make a lot of sacrifices to adapt to the current situation, and Inui truly admired him for that.

A soft cry made Inui leap to his feet immediately. His daughter began squirming slightly, and before the volume of her cries could be raised another notch, Inui scooped her into his arms and hushed her lightly, even as he brought her out of the room. "Let your daddy sleep." He whispered to her.

She continued to whimper though, and Inui checked to see if she was hungry, or if she needed a change. That didn't seem to be the case though, as Yanagi had already changed and fed her. Inui finally deduced that she was crying because she couldn't sleep. He began speaking to her, once again telling her of all the data in his book. She couldn't understand him, of course, but for some reason she always went to sleep at the sound of his voice. It worked, as she stopped crying, her whimpers becoming silent as she dropped off to sleep. Inui continued to speak to her, while rocking her in his arms.

He stayed like that for a while, making sure she was truly asleep before he stopped. After some time, he stood up, intending to put her back on Yanagi's bed when he heard footsteps.

A disheveled Yanagi burst out of his room, and Inui could hear his frantic calls of 'Yuina!' He spotted Inui holding the baby and relaxed immediately. "Sadaharu, so she's with you." He said, relieved.

"Aa. She was having trouble sleeping so I rocked her." Inui gazed down at the baby sleeping in his hands. After some time, he looked up. "Should you be running around like that? You haven't fully recovered yet." Inui tried to keep his voice neutral, but the concern was still evident in his eyes. A pity his eyes were hidden by his glasses anyway.

Yanagi shook his head. "I'm not so delicate, Sadaharu." He walked over to the two of them before reaching out and patting Yuina on the forehead. They remained like that for a while. Yanagi's gaze seemed to be fully concentrated on the baby in Inui's arms, but Inui on the other hand found his gaze darting to the brunette instead. A few times, Yanagi's hand accidentally brushed against the Seigaku data master's, and Inui was filled with the urge to put his arms around him, had his limbs not been preoccupied by one sleeping baby.

Inui distracted himself by turning his glance towards the clock. "It's rather late. I think it's best if both you and Yuina head off to bed.

"You're treating me like a child, Sadaharu." Yanagi mock scolded him. Inui passed the baby over carefully to the brunette, who rocked her gently. Without warning, the Seigaku data master then scooped Yanagi up into his arms.

"Sa-Sadaharu! I'm not pregnant anymore. You don't have to carry me." The surprised brunette stated.

"I want to." Inui muttered quietly. He tightened his arms subconsciously around the other teen, not knowing how much he had missed the familiar weight in his arms, until now. "You're still recovering, so it's better if I carry you." He lied lamely.

Yanagi seemed amused, since the corners of his lips quirked ever so slightly. He made no comment though, as he allowed the other data master to go ahead with his antics. Inui set his friend on the bed with extra care, tucking the brunette under the covers. Yanagi placed Yuina next to him before turning to Inui, who had turned to leave. "Where are you going to, Sadaharu?"

Inui watched his friend briefly. "Homework." He said as a matter of explanation. If he stayed any longer, he might not want to leave at all. Again, he tried to leave. Yanagi's hand shot out abruptly, catching hold of the edge of his shirt and stilling his movements. "Might you…stay a while?"

"Hmm?" Inui turned back slightly, studying his friend. Yanagi's face was neutral, but if Inui's calculations were correct, there had been a twinge of hope in the brunette's voice.

Yanagi seemed to realize what he was doing and let go of Inui's shirt. "Sorry." He turned over to his side, with his back facing Inui. "Oyasumi."

Inui couldn't help feeling that Yanagi was probably embarrassed over his actions, and was trying to hide it. Wordlessly, Inui left the room, though he returned some time later with his homework in his hands. "I'll be staying here a while. The lighting is better here." Inui stated, dropping himself into a chair next to Yanagi's bed.

Yanagi turned over again, facing him. "I see." There was a short pause. "We haven't been able to have a conversation in weeks."

"Aa. Three weeks, 2 days, 5 hours and 29 minutes, to be exact." Inui calculated. Goodness. Had it been so long since their daughter was born? He gave Yanagi a weak smile. "That is quite unavoidable, considering both our schedules."

"Mm. Your schedule is pretty packed." Yanagi agreed, taking out his pocketnotebook from under the blankets and flipping through it. "You leave the house by 8 every morning, and you return around 9 or 10 in the evening. Are you sure you're able to cope?" Yanagi glanced up at him, looking concerned.

Inui chuckled. "It's nothing. You're busier than I, having to take care of Yuina. I can't really do much for either of you, so whatever I can do, I'll do it to my fullest abilities." Inui spoke quietly.

Yanagi's smile softened. "Arigatou, Sadaharu. We'll be leaving it to you then." He gave a sigh, closing his notebook. "I can't wait to go back to school though. I miss my classmates, my teachers…most of all I miss tennis." He smiled. "I've almost recovered, Sadaharu. I'll make sure I make it in time for the Kantou tournaments. We'll meet on the courts when that time comes." He held out a hand to Inui.

"Aa. I'll be looking forward to that then." He took Yanagi's hand in a handshake, secretly musing to himself that Yanagi's hand was so warm. He hadn't realized that he held on 5 percent longer than necessary until Yanagi had given his hand a squeeze. Inui hurriedly let Yanagi's hand go before holding up his notebook, pretending to browse through it very fervently when he was actually hiding a flush. He cleared his throat. "W-well. I should update you on some new data."

Yanagi smiled, sinking back against his pillows. Inui began speaking animatedly; filling Yanagi in on all the data he had collected. Inui was glad to return to their old routine, even if only for this time. He had missed talking to Yanagi.

After some time, Yanagi held up a hand. "Enough, Sadaharu."

Inui paused. Did Yanagi not like to hear of his data anymore?

The brunette pointed at the clock. "It's getting late. Instead of telling me all your data, why don't we go through your homework instead? You'll be able to finish faster this way."

Inui glanced up at the clock and realized that Yanagi was right. "Now that you mentioned it…" He really had lost track of time.

Yanagi made some space and patted his side. "Come sit here, Sadaharu." He propped some pillows behind himself and sat up straighter.

Inui hesitated a while, then sat next to Yanagi. He flipped through his homework, discussing and debating over the answers quietly with his friend. Yanagi was right. Time did seem to pass very fast when he was with him. Without realizing it, the mountain of assignments was done before he knew it. Inui gave a happy sigh as he packed away his books and made to leave. He was feeling sleepy anyway.

"You're not staying?" Yanagi asked quietly.

"I-" Whatever Inui was intending to say, the words died instantly when he saw Yanagi's expression.

It was pretty neutral, actually. Yanagi's eyes were open, and he was neither smiling nor frowning. Still, the request in his gaze was pretty obvious, and the minute Inui looked into those violet orbs, he was defeated instantly.

"I'll stay then." He muttered. He would always be fighting a losing battle when it came to Yanagi. As he settled next to the other data master, who dropped off to sleep almost instantly, Inui smiled to himself. Well, maybe losing this battle wasn't so bad an idea after all.

XXXXXXXXX

When the baby was around one month old, Yanagi had recovered enough to move about normally again, and he put himself on a strict training menu to rebuild his stamina and regain his feel for tennis.

Both data masters got a nanny (again, courtesy of one ore-sama) to look after Yuina if neither of them were around to watch over her. Yanagi was still adamant in taking care of the baby though, if he had the time, and he now had a schedule so packed, it could rival Inui's. There were times when Inui returned to find Yanagi out like a light, too exhausted to tend to the baby, and she had to be looked after by her nanny instead. That was saying something, since Yanagi usually took it upon himself to make sure she was fed and changed, no matter how tired he was.

Inui felt a twinge of worry over his friend's health. This couldn't be good for the other teen at all, this lack of sleep. His thoughts were interrupted when a soft cry filled the house, and he headed immediately to the nursery, where his daughter lay in her cot, her tiny form squirming under the blankets as she continued to cry. The nanny was making her way over to the baby, but Inui shook his head. "Allow me." He told the lady.

He stepped up to the cot and scooped the tiny infant into his arms, bouncing her lightly as he tried to coax her. She continued crying, though her wails eventually became quiet sobs. Taking a bottle from the table next to her cot, Inui began feeding her, watching as his daughter suckled hungrily. When she was done, he rubbed her back gently until she gave a soft burp. Satisfied that she wouldn't have an upset stomach, he cradled her and rocked her gently, again giving her a whole narrative of his day's data tales.

The baby eventually began to slumber quietly in his arms. Inui stared down at her, studying her features. She was getting prettier each day, Inui noted with a twinge of fatherly pride. He stroked her head, running his hand through the tuff of soft downy hair. Brown, just like Renji's. He hoped Yuina would take after Yanagi's features. He just couldn't imagine his face on a girl's.

He placed her back in her cot and went to retrieve his homework. As he worked through the math equations, he jotted down notes regarding his daughter's development. She wasn't as tiny as she was when she had been a newborn. Still, she remained so small and so fragile. Inui would do everything within his powers as a data master to protect her.

When he had finished his homework, he took off his glasses and sank into his seat, closing his eyes briefly as he reflected on how much his life had changed over the past few months. He thought he had his life well planned, with how he wanted his future to be. So far, he only saw school, home, tennis and data collecting. Nowhere within his calculations had he ever thought of landing himself in the role of a teenage parent. Apparently his data was proven wrong, not for the first time. Now he gained an extra individual to treasure.

Inui paused at that thought. No, not just one individual. There were two people entwined in his life now, and he could not see a future without either of them. Especially Yanagi. Inui had long gone past the stage where he could still convince himself that he was doing everything for Yanagi because he was his one true friend. He still valued their friendship, of course, but the past few months had changed his thoughts and feelings completely, and he cherished Yanagi because he was…more than a friend. To him, at least.

He hadn't told Yanagi about his feelings though, having a strange sense of reluctance to do so. It was either the timing was wrong, or Inui hadn't gathered enough of his courage to confess yet. Inui wanted to confess…but he just was not able to.

He sighed, coming out of his thoughts long enough to stand up and head back to his room. At this rate…there wouldn't be a future together with Renji.

XXXXXXXXX

After Yuina reached two months old, Yanagi returned to Rikkai Dai. The training paid off, and none of his teammates knew that he had ever been pregnant (not that anyone in their right mind would think of that possibility). Inui had decided to walk the brunette to school that day. He waited by the door as he watched Yanagi enter the gates. The brunette turned back briefly to give him a smile. "I'll see you later then, Sadaharu."

"Aa." Even as Yanagi walked into the school, a lot of the brunette's friends walked over to him and clapped him on the back, all asking the Rikkai data master of his experience in America. Inui noted that his tennis club friends were amongst the first to make a beeline to him, with Niou asking him questions (and Yagyuu making sure he behaved). The others were fairly quiet, except for the sophomore regular Kirihara, who was the most enthusiastic one there with his questions. Inui chuckled to himself as he walked away, while the brunette fabricated his non-existent adventure to pacify their curiosity.

Inui had to return to his house, where he too was greeted by his mother, who was most eager to hear of his 'study camp' experience, and Inui found himself making up a story too. As he sat at his study table, he found himself wishing he could turn back time. He missed living under the same roof as the brunette, and he missed his daughter. He gave a snort. He had only just left the house and he was already missing it. Incredible…

The longing became worse as the days went by though. Back then, he could hardly see them during waking moments as he had a very tight schedule, but at least he could be in their presence as he returned to the same house every night. Now, he could not see them at all. Inui didn't want to risk calling Yanagi up (for fear that he might unintentionally call when either of them was sleeping), so he text messaged instead.

Yanagi always replied his messages, giving him a brief report on their daughter. The Rikkai data master might have returned to school and the tennis club, but he remained staying in the house instead of the Rikkai dorms. Inui wished he stayed in a dorm too. At least he could stay with them again.

There were times when Inui missed the brunette so much that he snuck off to Rikkai to collect data. Yanagi's performance was improving steadily. He found his eyes glued to the brunette for a few moments before he reminded himself that he was here to scout, not to stalk...although both were rather synonymous in Inui's dictionary. He adjusted his glasses and flipped to a clean page as he watched Marui and Jackal's match. This team would most likely be Seigaku's opponents again in the Kantou tournaments, and he'd need all his data collecting skills to calculate Seigaku's chances of winning.

Yanagi's match ended, and the brunette walked off the courts. Inui's gaze followed him, watching as he sat on a bench and took a bottle of water. Moments later, Kirihara joined him, and the two started a conversation about who knew what. Kirihara was very animated, speaking excitedly about something, and Yanagi was smiling slightly, commenting once in a while. The brunette even reached out a hand to pat the junior on the head. He didn't even protest when Kirihara took a drink out of his water bottle, as the junior seemed to have run out of water in his own.

Inui could feel something curling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like what he saw at all, even though there really wasn't anything wrong with the picture. He still didn't like it.

Inui returned several days later, and each time, he found himself seeing the same scene. Why was that Kirihara practically glued to Yanagi's side? As Yanagi gave him another pat on the head, Inui let out an involuntary growl of dislike.

XXX

"Yanagi-senpai."

"Hmm?" Yanagi indicated that he was listening, even as he patted Kirihara on the head. Perhaps it was because of him 'mothering' Yuina, but he felt more affectionate towards the ones he saw as 'little kids' now, and Kirihara's childish character fell under this category. He was the baby of the group after all.

"Did you hear something?" Kirihara asked.

Yanagi frowned. He thought he heard something, but he dismissed it as a stray animal fighting with another. "No." He replied shortly.

Kirihara thought of it a while, then shrugged. "Heh. If you say so. Now where was I…oh yes! After I beat that ichinen until he went crying for his mommy…"

XXX

Inui breathed a sigh of relief. His hiding spot wasn't revealed since those two had gone back to their conversation. At least, he thought his hiding spot wasn't revealed. The next moment he found himself staring face to face with a certain cap-wearing, stern-looking Rikkai vice-captain.

"Yukimura wasn't joking when he said your hiding places are pretty easy to find." Sanada spoke up. He gave Inui a what-are-you-doing-here glare. Inui met his glare calmly, and Sanada eventually relented, as he cast a glance in Yanagi's direction, somewhat guessing the reason for Inui being here.

"Don't disrupt practice." Sanada told him before turning around to join his teammates. Before he could go too far, Inui called him.

"Sanada…I have a question." Inui was very certain he was losing his mind. First he went to Tezuka for personal talks, and now Sanada too? "How did you and Yukimura…er…hook up?"

Sanada frowned at that. Inui doubted he'd be too pleased with answering a question like that, but Inui did want to know. Yukimura was a Rikkaian, and Yanagi was a Rikkaian too. Surely he must have some kind of tactic which appealed to Rikkaians specially.

"…It was something like this…"

"_Genichirou. You're really good at tennis. Let's go out."_

"…_Aa…"_

Inui stared. He wished he hadn't asked. He really couldn't picture himself in that scenario at all. Or at least, he calculated the scenario would be something like this between them.

"_Renji. I like your data. Let's…"_

"_Go out, was what you were trying to say right? It would seem I'm right."_

Nope…It wouldn't work at all.

Sanada gave him a stern stare. "Is that all you want to ask?"

"Aa. Thank you for your help." Inui muttered, even though it wasn't really much help.

As Sanada walked away, Inui decided to leave too. It was time for his part time job after all.

XXXXXXXXX

Inui did try to visit Yanagi and Yuina when he could, taking advantage of the break between practice and his part-time job to do so. If he was lucky, he'd at least be able to stay for two hours. If he wasn't, then he'd have to leave under an hour.

Inui tried to come up with sleepover excuses in order for him to stay the night with them. His parents didn't mind that much, as long as it didn't affect his studies. When Inui spent the night with his other family, he always placed Yuina next to him, wanting to spend what little time he could with her. Yanagi would join them, and the three will be sleeping in the same bed.

That morning, Yanagi was the one to wake first, and the Rikkai data master changed swiftly into his uniform. He bustled about getting ready for school, while Inui hardly budged, giving a sleepy groan and drawing Yuina closer to his side. Inui didn't have to wake that early that day, since his school had a holiday.

"You're staying here for the rest of the day, aren't you, Sadaharu? I have to leave now. Kirihara's waiting for me at the tennis courts."

At the name of his most disliked nemesis, Inui was instantly awake. He frowned. "Meet him at the tennis courts?" He asked, keeping his voice neutral.

"Aa. I promised to help him with one of his skills. I'll be back by evening." Yanagi mentioned.

Inui got out of bed and walked over to Yanagi's water bottle, struck by a sudden idea. He refilled the bottle with his latest Inui's Special Iguana Juice. After observing some of their interactions, he calculated an 89 percent chance that Kirihara might have a chance of 'enjoying' the drink too.

"Here. Don't forget your bottle." He held it out when Yanagi reentered the room.

Yanagi gave him a smile. "Thanks, Sadaharu. I'll be going now."

"Have a safe journey." Inui waved. He was in a much better mood now.

XXX

When Yanagi returned, Inui could see from his face that his plans were successful, and he had to stop himself from smirking.

"That was very mean of you, Sadaharu. I did not calculate the possibility of you refilling my bottle, and poor Kirihara-kun drank it. He had to be carted out of the tennis courts, which disrupted practice and made Genichirou angry."

"I had only wanted you to try my new drink. Why was he drinking from your bottle anyway?" Inui asked innocently.

Yanagi shook his head, knowing that Inui wasn't being truthful. "Why would you do that, Sadaharu."

Inui now understood what Yanagi went through went he thought Inui was with Kaidou. Now he was feeling the same way. He didn't want to let the green-eyed monster show, but that was difficult.

"No reason in particular." Inui muttered stiffly before leaving the room. He felt like burying himself behind his data for the rest of the day. It was much better than sulking while facing a wall.

For the rest of the day, he gave Yanagi the silent treatment, still holding a grudge against Yanagi for being so close to Kirihara. He was being a jerk again, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

He sighed. When would he ever be able to confess if his mind went all childish on him like this? He stared down at his daughter, who was slightly over three months old now. "How do I tell your other daddy that I like him, and that I don't want him to be close to other brats?"

Yuina stared at him quietly from behind half-closed lids, not making a sound. Inui sighed again and rocked his daughter. "I guess that's impossible huh…"

"What's impossible?" Yanagi asked abruptly as he walked into the room.

Inui was so startled he nearly dropped Yuina. He managed to keep his hold on the baby and replied curtly. "Nothing."

Yanagi noted that he still wasn't in the mood to talk, and shrugged before heading out of the room again.

Inui continued rocking the baby. "I'm being childish, am I not?"

His daughter continued to stare at him. After a moment, her lips twitched ever so slightly. Inui blinked. His eyes must be playing tricks with him.

The baby's lips continued to move slightly. Finally, for a brief moment, a smile formed on her face. A very small smile which lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to put a smitten look on Inui's face.

"Renji! Yuina smiled!" Inui dashed out of the room, the grudge he had forgotten instantly.

Yanagi's gaze was neutral. "Oh. So you're speaking to me again?" There was no malice in his voice though.

Inui passed the baby over to him. "She smiled…she finally smiled…"

"Aa. It's about time she smiled." Yanagi's gaze softened when the baby did smile at him before giving a yawn and going right off to sleep.

Inui stared at Yanagi, who was smiling at the baby. They were both beautiful. Somehow, that dispelled his envy towards Kirihara. At that very moment, it felt like the bond between them had grown stronger. He didn't have to think about what Yanagi had to do with Kirihara. For now.

XXXXXXXXX

"Inui…what's with that look on your face?" Tezuka demanded, his arms folded before him.

A permanently dreamy look was plastered on the Seigaku data master's face, making look slightly insane. Inui continued smiling stupidly to himself. "She smiled."

"What?" Tezuka asked, not understanding.

Inui turned to him, his smile getting wider. "She smiled. She actually smiled for the first time. She is so beautiful! You should have seen her, Tezuka. She's definitely going to look like Renji." He continued to gush over his daughter throughout practice.

Tezuka stared at him, gave him up as a lost cause, and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Now then, minna. Let's aim for the Kantou Tournaments."

The rest of Seigaku agreed full heartedly, as they put more spirit into practice. Only one data master was left ignored and grinning to himself.

"She smiled…"

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

-Gwyn86


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Mew**, Yup. I do hope it's not too fluffy. I have a weakness to writing that. :p

**Data Pair Lover**, my OTPs tend to be tennis freaks, so yeah. (grins)

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

Bu: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 15

July came before Inui even realized it, and the Seigaku data master could feel the tension in the air, as the tennis club members braced themselves for the Kantou tournaments. Tezuka had requested for a new training menu, which Inui gladly cooked up, putting all his calculations to use and stretching the tennis regulars' to their limits.

The pressure could be felt after Tezuka had drawn the lots, and Seigaku ended up having Hyotei Gakuen as their first opponents. Inui could not get an accurate data on most of the Hyotei regulars, and Atobe especially was a character Inui felt wary of, with his ever changing playstyle. That guy was going to be a challenging opponent.

As he had calculated, Tezuka had put himself in Singles 1, against Atobe. Echizen had been made a reserve, just as Inui had predicted. The Seigaku first-year prodigy could not play against Kabaji, who was in Singles 3, and it was better if Fuji dealt with the volley specialist Jirou. The freshman had seemed rather resigned to his fate, but Inui did catch the look Echizen shot in Tezuka's direction, and he noted that down in his data.

Oishi's injury was completely out of Inui's calculations, and he frowned as Momoshiro was made Kikumaru's partner in Doubles 2. While he believed that Momoshiro hid extraordinary potential in Singles, he wasn't too sure about Momoshiro's performance in doubles. That guy had already proven how beautifully he could flunk doubles when he partnered Echizen, although there was a 95.6 percent chance that it was Echizen's fault mainly. Furthermore, he wasn't facing a couple of amateurs, but Hyotei's genius Oshitari and acrobatic player Mukahi. Those two were formidable opponents.

Inui's data…had been faulty. Momoshiro had proven him wrong, and the makeshift pair ended up winning the match. On the other hand, Inui, whose partner was Kaidou, had lost against Hyotei's Shishido-Ootori pair.

The tension raised another notch when Tezuka lost to Atobe. He had been the one the club had been putting their faith into, but when he lost, everyone's morale had been lowered. Everyone…except one.

Inui had never thought he'd ever see such an expression on Echizen's young face. Ever. The Seigaku prodigy's eyes flicked briefly to Tezuka's injured arm, then to Atobe, and finally came to rest on Tezuka again. His gaze never left the captain's, as Tezuka gave him a solemn stare back.

"Echizen…remember what I've told you three months back?" Tezuka spoke up.

Inui glanced from Tezuka to Echizen, wondering if there was some kind of message he was missing. To his dismay, Echizen did not elaborate on that, as he merely gave an affirmative reply before heading out to the courts, a mildly predatory gleam in his eyes as he faced his opponent.

Shortly into the match, Inui scribbled furiously into his notebook, making a mental note never to get into Echizen's bad books. He had never seen someone make such a continuous attack like that, and one as stamina-consuming as the Drive B too. He threw a glance in Tezuka's direction, watching as Tezuka's gaze was fixed on Echizen, following his moves. He didn't realize they had such a relationship. How could such important data have eluded him?

Inui closed his notebook once the match was over. Echizen won. Seigaku has advanced to the next round. As they returned to Seigaku, Inui threw a glance at the captain and the rookie. Both of them walked back to school, not saying a word, though Inui noted that Echizen walked 5 centimeters closer to Tezuka than before. There was certainly a change in their relationship. Inui could almost say so with one hundred percent certainty.

He sighed. So even the wooden block Tezuka could get the person he had a crush on. Inui reflected on his relationship with Yanagi briefly, and instantly, Echizen's favourite phrase flew into his mind.

"_Mada mada dane."_

He sighed again. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Yanagi his feelings. He just couldn't find the right time to do so. It was so simple, yet Inui's courage always fled him whenever he saw the person of his affections.

He flipped through his notebook, coming to a decision. After the Kantou Tournaments then. No matter what, he would be honest to Yanagi about his feelings. Making a memo to himself in his notebook, Inui closed the book, sealing that promise.

XXXXXXXXX

Yanagi smiled as he watched his daughter, who was staring at him with her half-closed lids. She waved her hands at him, making a sound of delight when she saw him holding her milk bottle. Yanagi gently carried her in his arms before feeding her, watching as she suckled contentedly.

He was still doing that when he heard the jingle of keys, signaling someone's arrival. He looked eagerly in the direction of the door, hoping that it was Sadaharu. He hadn't seen the Seigaku data master in a while, even though they had kept in contact via phone. He missed having Inui around.

When the door opened, it was Sanada who stepped in, and Yanagi felt a twinge of disappointment, though he quickly masked it before Sanada noticed it. Sanada gave him a word of greeting, to which Yanagi responded. Yuina merely stared at Sanada wordlessly, not saying anything as she continued to drink from her bottle.

"Seigaku has made it to the finals." Sanada spoke up as he sat on the couch.

Yanagi nodded. "I've calculated a 98.71 percent chance of that, considering their performance in the first round of the competitions. They did take down Hyotei Gakuen after all."

Yanagi remembered joining Sanada and Kirihara at Seigaku's side of the courts after they had defeated their opponents, just in time to see Tezuka's match against Atobe. Yanagi knew that both had an equal chance of winning, though he certainly hadn't had data on Tezuka's injury, so that was out of his calculations. Seeing Echizen's performance after that, he had a feeling that the 'unrequited' crush Inui mentioned a few months back wasn't so 'unrequited' anymore. He couldn't help feeling a stab of envy at that thought.

He set the bottle aside, seeing that Yuina was full, and rubbed her back until she gave a small burp. She didn't fall asleep right away though, as she continued to stare at Sanada, looking like she was studying him quietly. Yanagi chuckled and adjusted his hold on her, so that she was now sitting in his lap, while his arms continued to support her as she wasn't able to sit up on her own just yet.

Sanada cast a look in her direction and frowned at her stare. "She's definitely an Inui." He spoke up after a while.

"Aa." Yanagi agreed, sounding a little proud. She was certainly an Inui, if she could cheer him up when her other father wasn't around like that. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, and she smiled, waving her small hands in the air as she bounced in his lap. He spoke to her softly, and she smiled again. Even though Inui couldn't be around, Yuina remained a happy baby, and Yanagi was thankful for that. Seeing her smiling face, he could remain cheerful for the rest of the day.

Sanada watched both parent and child for a while before folding his arms, going into his vice-captain mode. "I've spoken to Yukimura earlier on. It seems that the doctors have given him the option of a surgery for his condition."

Yanagi stopped playing with his daughter, as his attention was now on Sanada's words. "And?"

Sanada's expression was grave. "The chances of success are low. If the surgery fails…Yukimura will never be able to play tennis again."

Yanagi frowned, the severity of Sanada's words hanging in the air between them. Yanagi didn't need to experience what Yukimura was going through to know what turmoil the Rikkai captain must have been in. Tennis…was life for the three Rikkai demons. The thought of never being able to play tennis again, must have been a very scary one.

"Yukimura hasn't decided on whether he wants to take the surgery yet. He is putting that option on hold for the moment until he gets himself mentally prepared for it. It's a very difficult choice he has to make."

"It is." Yanagi spoke, nodding sagely. It was probably just as tough a decision as the one Yanagi had to make months ago, when the doctor asked him if he wanted to keep the baby. He tightened his arms around Yuina for comfort. "Seiichi will be fine. Whatever decision he makes, he'll be all right. He is a very strong person after all." Yanagi spoke up.

"Aa." Sanada dropped his stoic mask momentarily, allowing the briefest hint of emotions to slip on his face. He took in a deep breath and put his mask on once more. "The time has finally reached for the finals. This will be a hurdle Rikkai will have to pass, in order to secure our three years in a row championship. This time, we will crush Seigaku."

"That's right." Yanagi agreed. He passed the baby to Sanada so that he could concentrate, even as he went quiet a while and recalled Seigaku's data. Once he had the full record in his head, he spoke up again. "Seigaku's chances of winning are 0.1 percent. They have a weakness in doubles, with their only National-leveled doubles pair being the Oishi-Kikumaru Golden Pair combo, and surely this pair will be placed in Doubles 1. We have our Niou-Yagyuu pair to go against them, and I am certain they're inferior compared to our doubles pair. The chances of their Doubles 2 winning is 0.12 percent, since we have Marui and Jackal on our side, and I don't think Seigaku has a makeshift doubles pair who can go against them. Singles 3…the possibility of it being Sadaharu is 89.43 percent. He was considered Seigaku's number three before Echizen-kun beat him. Leave him to me."

Yanagi paused briefly, trying to keep his excitement under control. He was finally going to face Inui on the courts in an official match. He has been waiting for a long time for this chance. "Seigaku's Singles 2 will likely be Echizen-kun, and Singles 1 will be Fuji, who is Seigaku's number two and the most suitable person to take over Singles 1 now that their trump card Tezuka is gone." He gave a small smirk. "Seigaku shouldn't be a problem to us at all."

Sanada pondered the order of the match. "No. I agree that doubles will not be a problem for us, but as for Singles…we must not slack off." He was about to fold his arms, but remembered that the baby was still in his lap and hurriedly used his arms to support her before she toppled over. "I believe it wouldn't be Fuji to take over Singles 1, but Echizen."

"That boy? I admit that he is very talented, but I don't think Tezuka's that careless to let a rookie take Singles 1. If Fuji is in Singles 1, their chance of winning is 0.18 percent, while if it's Echizen, their chance of winning is 0.11 percent." Yanagi frowned. Considering the odds were against Seigaku if Echizen were really to take the critical spot, surely level-headed Tezuka wouldn't make such a decision which would jeopardize Seigaku's chances of victory.

Sanada gave a soft 'hmph'. "Yanagi. Seigaku may not have Rikkai's strength, but now all of them will be playing at a higher tension than usual with Tezuka's absence. By putting Echizen in Singles 1, wouldn't that tension be raised even higher?"

"That…if you put it that way." Yanagi did the calculations in his head and finally agreed.

Sanada gave Yanagi a solemn stare. "Just for in case, I'm putting myself in Singles 1. I'll deal with that brat. Losing is not permitted."

"Of course. There is a high chance you will not be able to play at all though." Yanagi smiled.

Sanada gave a snort. "I don't doubt that. Inui's not a threat to Rikkai. He's a thousand years too early." Sanada spoke up, the dislike evident in his voice.

Yuina, perhaps knowing that her father was being looked down upon, or because she had an incredible sense of timing, began crying at that moment. Sanada immediately tried to pacify the crying baby, who only began to scream more fiercely, causing the vice-captain to look extremely flustered.

The cap-wearing boy was highly relieved when Yanagi took Yuina into his arms and rocked her. The baby's cries became quiet as she gave a soft whimper before dropping off to sleep in her parent's arms. Sanada glared at the baby. "Definitely an Inui, if she's trying to provoke me like that." He muttered.

"She's just trying to defend Sadaharu in her own way." Yanagi joked.

Yanagi placed the baby in her cot before returning to the sitting room, sitting on a couch just opposite Sanada's.

"We must win this, no matter what. Win this and bring the championship to Yukimura." Sanada spoke up after a while.

Yanagi's eyes opened. "Aa." It was a promise then, not just for the Rikkai kings, but for Seiichi too.

XXXXXXXXX

It was the eve of the Kantou tournamants, and that night, Inui found himself unable to sleep, as he kept waking up in the middle of the night to recalculate his data, trying to increase Seigaku's chances of winning even if only by 0.01 percent more.

He got out again for what felt like the thirteenth time that night and headed over to his notebook, which he had placed at his study table. Again, he erased some of his data as he wrote down new calculations, increasing his chance of winning by 0.03 percent more.

Satisfied with the update on his data, he was about to head back to bed when he spotted one of the pictures on his table. It showed two boys smiling, as their hands were clapsed, and their others hands held their gold medals.

He picked the picture up, smiling as he remembered that day. It had been his and Renji's first victory in an official doubles match. He reached out and touched Yanagi's face briefly, and not for the first time, found himself wishing that Yanagi had never left in the first place. He tried to picture how school life would be like, if Yanagi had been in Seigaku too. They'd still be the unbeatable Data Pair, and they could possibly give Oishi and Kikumaru a run for their money.

He gave a sigh and placed the picture on the table once more. That was only a dream. Tomorrow, he'd be facing Yanagi in a match. Inui was confident that he knew enough of Yanagi's data, and there was a small chance he could beat him. Excitement filled him at the thought of playing a serious match against Yanagi again.

"Renji. Let's have a good match tomorrow." He whispered into the darkness before settling on his bed again. This time, when sleep came, he did not wake until the alarm rang hours later.

XXX

Inui knew that Seigaku's chances of victory would be slim. Without Tezuka, their power level seemed to have dropped by several notches. Their doubles teams were completely pulvarized by Rikkai's doubles teams, and before long, it was time for Singles 3.

"The time…" Inui began

"The time is ripe, was what you were going to say right?" Yanagi continued for him. The Rikkai data master must have been analysing his data too. "It would seem that I'm right." He spoke quietly.

Inui smiled inwardly. Same old Yanagi. When it came to tennis, he never changed. Horio seemed to be surprised that Yanagi knew what he was going to say, and Inui reassured him of how well they knew each other. "Right now, he's tying his shoelaces, isn't he? The probability is 100 percent." He said firmly, and surely enough, Yanagi was doing precisely that.

They hadn't been able to really have a serious Singles match against each other, and Inui put all his data to use, not giving Yanagi any chances to score. Even if Inui had feelings for him, he wouldn't let that interfere with their game.

Yanagi had turned the tables on him after a while, and Inui had to abandon his data, pitting his stamina and original style of playing against the other data master. It was a good thing he had recalculated his data yesterday night, as Yanagi was lured into his pace for a good part of the game, and before long, the scores were at 5-4, Yanagi leading, just like the last serious match they had against each other back in their elementary schooldays.

"I believe this is where we left off." Inui spoke calmly. He thought that Yanagi looked pretty cute when he realized he had been tricked, with displeasure written all over his face like that. He readjusted his glasses and readjusted his grip on his racket. "From here onwards, there will be no more data involved."

Yanagi had put up a good fight, but in the end, Inui won the battle of stamina. Yanagi hadn't built his stamina up to his old level yet, considering he was out of action for a period of time, and had only just started his training a few months back.

"You have won, Sadaharu." Yanagi smiled as he shook Inui's hand at the net.

"We had an equal chance of winning. Who knows. The next time you might be the winner." Inui replied.

Yanagi gave a soft chuckle. "Perhaps. Will you be dropping by later? Yuina hasn't had the chance to see you in a while. I'm sure she misses you."

Inui studied his face. "Only Yuina?" He asked quietly, his hand tightening subconsciously.

Yanagi's face flushed slightly. He let go of Inui's hand. "Genichirou is waiting for me to return to the team." He spoke hurriedly before making his escape.

Inui watched him a while before turning around and heading back to his teammates, even as he tried to keep the grin off his face. He was extremely tired, but also very satisfied with the match. Once he returned, Kikumaru just had to choose that time to charge at him in a running glomp, nearly causing him to topple over.

He allowed his teammates to celebrate their first match won for a while. While they were still chattering away excitedly, Inui threw a glance at Rikkai's side of the courts.

Sanada was looking greatly displeased, as he was now on his feet, speaking sternly to Yanagi. "That wasn't a match you were not able to win. You have allowed your personal feelings to get in the way."

Yanagi looked slightly regretful. "I'm sorry, Genichirou. Please hit me. You must set an example to the juniors."

Inui's jaw dropped. Sanada wouldn't dare to-

To his horror, Sanada raised his hand, fully intending to comply with Yanagi's words. Before Inui could shout, or even run towards Rikkai's side, Sanada had swung his arm in a backhand.

The next moment, Kirihara had blocked the blow with his racket, saving Yanagi from that beating. "I'll beat the next opponent, then we can make it in time for Yukimura-buchou's surgery." He told the Rikkai vice-captain.

At that very moment, Inui wondered just why he had considered Kirihara an enemy, as he instantly put the Rikkai sophomore regular in his list of 'best friends'. In fact, he even felt a small twinge of pity when Kirihara was beaten by Fuji later.

Echizen then exceeded his data by beating Sanada, thus bringing Seigaku its victory. Inui smiled. They had won. They had beaten the Rikkai kings and won!

The whole team screamed themselves hoarse. Inui went off to get a drink while he waited for the prize-giving ceremony. Once he reached the vending machine, he paused a while as he browsed through the choices.

"That was a good match, Sadaharu." He heard Yanagi speak up behind him and turned around.

"Aa. It was, Renji." He turned back to the machine and, having come to a decision, bought two cans of juice before handing one to Yanagi.

The Rikkai data master gave a word of thanks and took it. There was a moment of silence as they drank their beverages. Inui was the first one to speak up.

"Why did you ask Sanada to hit you?"

Yanagi gave him a weak smile. "I'm from Rikkai Dai, Sadaharu. Losing is not permitted."

Inui replayed that scene in his mind. He shuddered as he thought of Sanada hitting Yanagi's face. He'd kill the Rikkai vice-captain if he laid his hands on Yanagi. Even as he thought of that, his hand had subconsiously reached out to stroke Yanagi's cheek.

Yanagi flushed. "Sadaharu…"

It was only then did Inui realize what he was doing, and he pulled his hand away like he was burnt. "Ah…I'm sorry, Renji."

Inui remembered that he had promised himself that he would confess to Yanagi after the Kantou tournaments. He tried to gather his courage. "Renji, I-"

He noticed that Yanagi wasn't looking at him, but had his gaze fixed behind Inui. Inui turned around too, and found Echizen staring at them, while calmly sipping on Ponta.

Inui's face heated up. How could he have forgotten that Echizen had run off to buy his drink too? It was the rookie's habit to do that after matches.

Echizen finished his drink and threw it into the nearest bin before giving Inui a smirk. "Mada mada dane, Inui-senpai." He spoke as he left.

Yanagi turned back to Inui once Echizen had walked away. "You were saying?"

By now, Inui's courage had already fled him. He turned back to Yanagi. "Eh? Ah yes. I…think we had better head back. It's almost time for the prize giving ceremony."

Yanagi took a glance at his watch. "Hmm…it has been a while since the matches ended. I suppose you're right. Let's go then." With that, the Rikkai demon swung around and left.

Inui felt like hitting his head against the trunk of the nearest tree. Mission failed. He made a mental note to try out his next invention on that brat Echizen. He sighed, making another mental note to himself to confess when he headed over to Yanagi's place later.

XXX

"Have you missed me, Yuina?" Inui had his baby daughter cradled in his arms, and was now fawning over her.

Yanagi sat nearby, watching Inui interact with their daughter. There was a slightly amused smile on his face. A few feet from him, Sanada wore a look of disgust, as if unbelieving that Inui could act so disgustingly childish. Inui had made it quite obvious that he loved his baby daughter, and the usually expressionless teen's face would light up at the sight of the infant.

Yuina was in a sleepy mood, actually, and hardly gave her father a response. She gave him a small smile before dozing off, contented to be in her father's arms again.

Inui didn't put her in her cot, as he wanted to cradle her. He hadn't been here in a long while, and before he knew it, his baby daughter had grown so much. After kissing his sleeping daughter on the forehead, he looked up at the other two.

"Your team's captain Yukimura had a successful surgery, didn't he? Congratulations." He spoke up.

Sanada gave a stiff nod, though Inui could see the relief in his eyes. Yanagi smiled at Inui. "Thank you. The next time we meet, I won't lose to you twice, Sadaharu. Rikkai Dai will become the champions for three years in a row."

"Is that a challenge, Renji?" Inui countered, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Yanagi threw him a very small smirk. "I'll leave that to your interpretation, Sadaharu."

"I'll be looking forward to that then." Inui replied. Somehow, with them throwing words back and forth, Inui felt almost like they were…flirting…in their own way.

Sanada seemed to have thought so, for he threw a suspicious glance at Inui before clearing his throat, giving Inui a dark glare. "You will have no chance at all the next time. Not even your team's captain Tezuka can hold a candle against Yukimura. He's undefeatable."

"That isn't a 100 percent probability. There is a chance Seigaku will win." Inui retorted.

The cap-wearing vice-captain and glasses-wearing data master glared at each other. Yanagi stood up. "I'm going to get some tea." He left to the kitchens, while throwing Inui a mildly amused look.

Inui excused himself too, not wanting to be in the same room as the Rikkai vice-captain without Yanagi in it too. He headed over to the nursery before gently setting his daughter in her cot, tucking her in nicely. His daughter continued to sleep peacefully, while sucking on her pacifier. Inui placed the bear plushie, his gift to her before she was even born, right next to the baby before giving her a kiss on the forehead. After fussing over her a while, he was finally satisfied that she was comfortable and left the room, heading back to the sitting room where the poker-faced Rikkai vice-captain was. Once there, he resumed his glaring match with the cap-wearing boy.

Yanagi returned to the sitting room after some time, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. He served the tea and set the biscuits down on the table before taking a seat. This time, he chose to sit beside Inui instead of sitting next to his fellow Rikkai demon, and Inui's heart did a victory dance. He deliberately inched a little closer to Yanagi, to the point that their hands were nearly touching. Yanagi seemed oblivious to Inui's advances, but Sanada wasn't, and the Rikkai vice-captain gave Inui a dark glare.

Inui ignored the Rikkai captain and struck a conversation with Yanagi. "I was really surprised though, your high-speed slice. I've never seen that skill of yours before."

Yanagi chuckled. "You wouldn't have seen it, Sadaharu. I've only invented Kamaitachi when I was in Rikkai Dai. Created it when I was in a match against Genichirou, as he had me cornered, with the scores being 5-3 at that time. He won in the end anyway."

"I see. It was a very elegant skill." Inui complimented.

Yanagi smiled. "I get to see an unexpected side of you today, Sadaharu. I never thought you'd return to your old style of dataless tennis. I haven't seen that in a while, not since the first time we became doubles partners. How nostalgic." Yanagi's face took on a slightly dreamy look as he reminisced the past. Inui remembered that too, and joined him in memory lane. Only Sanada had no prior knowledge to what the two data masters were talking about, and he looked back and forth between them, trying to find out what they were saying.

They continued on the topic of the Kantou tournaments for a while, this time Yanagi had remembered to include Sanada in the conversation too. After a while, Yanagi touched Inui's hand lightly.

"It's getting late. I'll deal with the dishes then." He stood up.

Inui sprang to his feet like he was sitting on a hedgehog. "I'll go with you." Before Yanagi could protest, Inui had already piled the dishes and taken them to the back. He started washing the dishes, and could vaguely hear Yanagi pad quietly into the room too.

"You're behaving very strangely, Sadaharu." Yanagi commented, while setting the cups in the sink too.

Inui threw a glance at his beloved friend. "I'm not." He protested. He scrubbed the dishes with increased concentration, even though the dishes really didn't need that much scrubbing. He was very aware of Yanagi's presence next to him, and was doing everything he could to not stare at the other data master.

Yanagi frowned. "If you say so. I guess I'm thinking too much." He scratched his head before turning around, intending to leave.

Inui had reached out at that moment, grabbing his friend's hand and stilling his steps. Yanagi turned back, looking at Inui questioningly with his eyes open. Inui tried to gather his courage. He had put this off for a long time already. They were alone now, and the timing seemed right. Even though he was being severely tactless with him holding Yanagi's hand with his soapy ones, Inui was finding it increasingly difficult to hide his feelings.

"Renji…listen…I…I…" Inui tried to confess, but the word was harder to say than he thought.

Yanagi's look of confusion turned into one of concern, especially after seeing how red Inui's face was getting. "Are you alright, Sadaharu? Do you have a fever?" He reached out with his free hand to feel Inui's forehead, but Inui grabbed that hand too with his other hand, making both of Yanagi's hands soapy.

"No…I mean…yes…I'm all right, and no, I don't have a fever…I…" Inui looked Yanagi in the eye. "I…"

A growl made Inui jump. Sanada stood in the doorway, and the stoic vice-captain didn't like what he was seeing at all.

It would take Inui guts the size of a country to confess to Yanagi with _Sanada_ as the audience. Probably not even Tezuka could perform that feat. Again, Inui's courage left him, and he found himself not being able to say it. "I…I'll be staying here for the night." He blurted out quickly.

Yanagi gave him a small smile. "I see. I don't know why you have to be so nervous over that. You're always welcome here anyway."

"A-Aa." Inui gave a weak laugh, while inwardly mourning his second failed attempt. He watched as Yanagi left the kitchen, probably to get Inui's room ready, and resisted the urge to hit his head on the wall.

Sanada remained in the doorway, with his arms folded. He threw Inui a glare of dislike. "I would be staying too…if I hadn't had a prior appointment to attend to." The cap-wearing boy didn't seem happy by that statement. "Nevertheless, if I catch you doing _anything_ to Yanagi…"

Before Sanada could continue that sentence, Yanagi reappeared. "Genichirou, will you be staying too?"

Sanada adjusted his cap. "No. I've promised Yukimura that I'll be with him after the surgery. I'll be taking my leave then. If he does anything to you, tell me immediately." Sanada had used his vice-captain voice at the last statement.

Yanagi gave a good natured laugh and saw Sanada out the door. After that, he returned to the kitchen. Inui had finished with the washing and drying of the dishes, and was just about to head over to his bedroom. Yanagi threw him a neutral look, one which Inui was getting quite used to seeing. "Where will you be sleeping tonight?"

Inui tried to remain casual over that, as he gave a shrug. "Anywhere is fine."

At that answer, Yanagi took Inui's hand and wordlessly led him to his room. Apparently Yanagi had brought Yuina into the room as well, and the baby was sleeping in the centre of the bed, with her bear plushie right next to her.

As usual, Yanagi slept on one side of the bed. "I love it when the three of us get the chance to be together. With both our schedules, it's getting to be so difficult for us to do so." He commented as he pulled the blankets over himself and Yuina.

Inui smiled. "Aa. I do too." He smiled when Yanagi yawned. "You're tired, Renji. Go to sleep."

"Mm…oyasumi, Sadaharu." Yanagi closed his eyes. After a moment, when Inui glanced over, Yanagi's breathing had evened out, a sign that he was already asleep.

Inui reached out and touched Yanagi's face. "Renji…" 'I love you…' He spoke in his heart. He continued touching his beloved friend's sleeping face, feeling rather useless at that moment. He could not confess to Yanagi. No matter how good the timing was, he just didn't have the guts to confess to him.

Inui sighed. At this rate, there was no way they could ever start a relationship…

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

-Gwyn86


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

**Data Pair Lover**, someday…eventually…maybe when they become grandfathers. XD

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 16

"Sadaharu."

"Mm…" Inui mumbled sleepily, not wanting to wake up at all. It was a holiday for Seishun Gakuen that day, and Oishi had cancelled practice too. Inui had turned off his inner alarm, not wanting to wake so early that day, not when he could finally have the chance to spend some time with Yanagi and their daughter.

"Sadaharu, I'll be leaving now. Breakfast is on the table." Yanagi rushed around the room getting ready, even as he put his yellow Rikkai uniform on.

Inui reluctantly opened his eyes, seeing a big yellow blur running about. "Leaving?" He croaked, his voice still sleep-filled. He reached for his glasses and put them on, not wanting to look at his friend while he was in a half-blind state.

Yanagi zipped his Rikkai jersey up. "Aa. It's a holiday for us too, and Sanada allowed us to have the day off to recover from the Kantou tournaments. Akaya isn't happy because Fuji had beaten him in a match, and he wanted me to coach him. I'll be back after lunch. To be precise, 18 minutes and 25 seconds after 1pm."

Inui mumbled sleepily and was about to head right back to dreamland when something Yanagi said brought him crashing back to reality. Wait…Kirihara? Yanagi was going to give him personal coaching? Just the two of them? One on one?

"Kirihara?" Inui scowled, dislike written all over his face. He removed that guy from his 'best friends' list and shoved him back in the 'enemy' list. That sneaky little devil liked meeting up with _his_ Renji now, didn't he? "I don't want-" His words were cut off as he toppled off the bed in his haste to get up, and he ended up in a most unattractive heap on the floor, tangled up in his blankets.

He had completely forgotten that his daughter was sleeping right next to him, and all the noise startled her. The baby was always disgruntled whenever she was awakened before she had enough rest, and she started bawling on the top of her lungs.

"Yuina…" Inui tried to get to her, but he was preoccupied with trying to free himself from the blankets. He most certainly didn't like the current position he was in, which put his foot in his face. Most unpleasant.

Yanagi gave a sigh and shook his head before heading over to Yuina, carefully sidestepping past the Inui-lump on the floor. After scooping the infant in his arms, he bounced her lightly and spoke to her, trying to calm her down. His attempt was unsuccessful, as she continued to cry.

Yanagi adjusted his hold on her. "I'm going to feed her. After that, I'll be leaving her in your care until I return. Hmm…I'm running late." He moved towards the door.

Inui managed to free himself from the blankets (though he could have sworn he heard a soft rip) and lunged towards Yanagi. No matter what, he wanted to stop Yanagi from going to see that…fellow…

He threw his arms around Yanagi's midsection, hugging on tightly in a vice grip, not letting him move. According to his data, Yanagi could not beat him when it came to physical strength anyway, even if he was a Rikkai demon.

Yanagi tried to free himself, but with his hands full of one crying baby, he could not pry Inui's arms off, and settled with trying to wiggle out of Inui's hold. After a while, he gave up and gave Inui a stern stare. "Sadaharu! What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't want you to go…" Inui tightened his hold.

The Rikkai data master frowned. "I have to go. Yuina's hungry, and I need to get her milk prepared."

Inui shook his head. "I don't mean that. I don't want you to go meet that guy."

Yanagi stared at him in disbelief. "You mean…you don't want me to coach Akaya? Sadaharu, you're being childish. Let me go."

"No!" Inui tightened his grip yet again.

Yanagi gave a growl. "Let me go, Sadaharu. I don't have time for this."

"I'm not letting you go." Inui insisted stubbornly.

Yanagi was getting increasingly frustrated as he had a bawling baby in his arms, and her abnormally childish daddy latched on to him. Inui was really acting very strangely recently. He was usually more mature than this.

"Fine! I'll be staying home." Yanagi's voice was neutral, though it was 2.3 times harsher than normal. He just wanted to feed Yuina so that she would stop crying. He was pretty sure neighbours were going to come knocking any moment now.

Inui released his hold on Yanagi's midsection, and the Rikkai data master headed towards the kitchen. By the time he walked out of the kitchen with a milk bottle in his hand, Inui had already washed up and changed into his casual wear.

Yanagi handed the bottle and the baby over to Inui before pulling out his phone, shooting Inui a disapproving look as he did so. He dialed a number and brought the phone to his ear, waiting a while for the other person to pick up.

"Moshi moshi. Akaya. It's me. I'm afraid something came up today and I have to cancel our practice."

Inui's hand, which was holding the milk bottle, paused in mid air, as he strained his sense of hearing, eavesdropping on the other data master. His daughter gave a whimper in his arms, as her hands waved around, reaching out for the bottle.

"_That's too bad, Yanagi-senpai. Must be troublesome._" Inui could hear Kirihara say.

"Oh yes. Very _troublesome_." Yanagi agreed, noticing that Inui had inched closer. The Rikkai data master moved away, trying to put a distance between them, so that the conversation was out of Inui's hearing range.

Yuina gave up trying to get the bottle at that moment, and she used her favourite weapon-by bursting into tears, demanding to be fed. Inui remembered that he was supposed to feed his daughter, and he hurriedly brought the teat to her mouth to feed her. He readjusted his hold on the bottle, so that it wasn't at an angle which would make his daughter uncomfortable. Yuina stopped crying as she suckled hungrily, her tiny hands holding on to the bottle.

"Er…that sound? That's my baby…niece." Yanagi gave a weak laugh over the phone. Inui could already guess what Kirihara had asked.

There was a short pause on Yanagi's part as he listened to what Kirihara was saying. "Yes. That's right. I have to cancel the practice as I have to take care of my baby niece." He listened in on the conversation again. "Eh? You want to come over and help me? Er…no…that's not necessary. My address? Ah…my phone's battery is running out. I'll call you back later." Yanagi ended the call hurriedly.

Inui bounced the baby in his arms, staring at Yanagi in mild amusement. This was the first time he'd actually hear his friend spout so much lies. Ii data.

Yanagi kept his phone and threw Inui a glare. "You'll have a lot of explaining to do later, Sadaharu. I can't believe I had to create such a story for my kouhai like that."

Inui looked unrepentant. He was feeling considerably more cheerful now. He had Yanagi all to himself for the rest of the day, at least until he had to go home later. He tried not to wear his expression on his face though. Yanagi didn't look too pleased with his childish antics.

The baby finished her milk and gave a soft burp before staring up at her parents. Yanagi's frown disappeared immediately, as his expression softened. Inui silently thanked his daughter for pacifying her other parent. Yanagi took the baby from Inui before throwing Inui a more neutral glance.

"Your coffee is going to get cold if you don't eat your breakfast soon." He spoke up.

"Aa. Thank you, Renji." He sat at the table and started on his meal. Yanagi had made some egg rolls that day, and Inui ate them with an expression of utter bliss. If only he could stay in this house for good.

Yanagi joined him at the table, shaking his head at his friend. "You're impossible, Sadaharu." He turned his attention back to their daughter as he stroked her head softly.

Inui finished his food and headed to the kitchen to wash the plates. Yanagi followed him 3 minutes and 12 seconds later.

"So then, Sadaharu. What are your plans for today?"

Inui blinked at him. "I beg your pardon?" He asked, not sure if he heard Yanagi right.

Yanagi rocked Yuina in his arms, trying to get her to sleep. "Your plans for us today. You must have one, if you're so adamant in preventing me from going to coach Akaya."

Ah. That was right. He had ruined Renji's plans for the day. Inui dried the dishes before pondering on his schedule for that day. If he was to be completely honest…he hadn't had a plan. He just wanted to stay home and be in Yanagi and Yuina's presence for the whole day.

"Let's have a match." Inui blurted out abruptly.

Yanagi frowned at him. "I thought you didn't want me to have a game of tennis today." He pointed out.

The data master had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "Er…no…that was…I don't want you to have a match with…" He gave a cough to cover up for his awkwardness before rephrasing his words. "I apologize for making you cancel your practice, and I wish to make up for it. Will you have a match with me?"

Yanagi gave a sigh before chuckling. "You really are impossible, Sadaharu." He walked over to Inui, stopping just a few steps away from him, and the Seigaku data master felt the strong urge to hug Yanagi. "All right. We'll be taking Yuina along with us. I don't want to leave her at home alone." Yanagi left the kitchen to get the pram ready.

Inui headed to the bedroom to change into a pair of sportswear. Once he was done, he headed over to Yanagi's room. "Are you done, Renji?" He asked

Yanagi was still tucking the baby in, and he straightened up after putting the bear plushie in the pram too. Glancing up, he noticed Inui at the door and gave a smile. "I'll be done in a while. Give me a moment." Without missing a beat, Yanagi took off his shirt before heading over to the closet to get his sportswear.

Inui stared appreciatively for a good 13.76 seconds before forcing himself to turn away. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Yanagi change before. They did that all the time in the locker rooms, back in elementary school, and they did that during the junior senbatsu camp. Still…at that time, Inui hadn't had _those_ kinds of feelings for Yanagi yet. Or at least, his feelings weren't so strong back then.

He counted 4 minutes and 30 seconds first before chancing a glance back at Yanagi. Surely enough, the Rikkai data master had put on his sportswear, though Inui caught a glimpse of his abdominal area before he pulled the shirt down, covering it. He frowned inwardly. He was quite familiar with Yanagi's body, having seen it numerous times when they were in the same locker room, but now Yanagi had a faint scar on his abdomen which Inui had not seen before. When did he get that…oh wait... Inui threw a glance at the sleeping baby and mentally hit himself. Of course Yanagi would have a scar…

"Sadaharu?" The bespectacled boy nearly jumped when he realized that Yanagi was calling him. The Rikkai demon was already carrying his tennis bag, while he pushed the pram with his free hand.

Inui took over the task of pushing the pram from him. "Let's go." He stated. Yanagi nodded before carrying Inui's tennis bag too.

XXX

They walked all the way to the park. A good number of people stared at them as they walked past. Inui had calculated a 57 percent chance of that happening, since two males pushing a baby pram wasn't an everyday sight. Though for those who actually stopped and asked, Yuina was Yanagi's "niece", while Inui was Yanagi's "cousin".

When they finally reached the courts, they set the pram next to the bench before taking out their tennis rackets. As usual, Yanagi would be the first to enter the courts, but he'd tie his shoelaces, and when he was done, Inui would be in the courts too.

It was just like their old schooldays, as Yanagi spun the racket, but Inui would be the one to serve. They started a light rally against each other, hitting the ball to and fro while keeping their data tennis to a minimal, concentrating more on the fun of tennis than on the points.

After an hour and half, Yanagi decided to call it a day, and the two made their way to the bench. Inui sat down and promptly started writing in his notebook. Even though this was only a non-official match, he could still gather some data from this.

Yanagi sat next to him, and he took a glance at Inui's notebook before he started to debate over some of the angles and figures. The two ended up comparing data, while bickering childishly over whose data was more accurate. Inui had missed this feeling. It had been a long time…

XXX

When they returned home later, the two spent the rest of the day talking and taking care of their daughter together. While Inui bathed their daughter, Yanagi got the milk prepared, and once the baby was clean and dry, Yanagi handed the bottle over to Inui, who fed her, watching her with a softened gaze as she suckled quietly.

Yanagi was still trying to burp the baby when there was a knock on the door. The Rikkai data master cocked his head to one side. "Could it be Genichirou? He must have forgotten his keys."

"I'll get the door." Inui rose from the couch and headed over to the door before opening it.

When he saw who was at the door though, he slammed it shut again.

The knocking returned, more persistently this time. Yanagi threw Inui a questioning look. Inui gave a sigh before opening the door again. He put on his most displeased expression before glaring at the visitor.

"What are you doing here?" Both Inui and the uninvited 'guest' asked at the same time. "Kirihara…" Inui added with a low growl. 'How did this guy get this address anyway?'

Kirihara ignored his question, as he bounced on the balls of his feet while craning his neck, trying to peer past Inui. "Is Yanagi-senpai in?"

Inui pulled himself to his full height, towering over the Rikkai sophomore regular, blocking off his view. He wasn't the tallest regular in Seigaku for nothing. "No, he's not." He said bluntly.

Before Inui could ask Kirihara to leave, Yanagi popped over to the doorway too, and he placed his hands on Inui's shoulders before moving the Seigaku data master aside. "Oh Akaya. It's you. Come on in. How did you find this place anyway?" He made way for Kirihara to pass, while keeping a firm hold on Inui.

Kirihara walked into the house, ignoring Inui's glare as he made himself home in the sitting room. "Yukimura-buchou gave me this address when I visited him just now."

"Yukimura did?" Inui couldn't help feeling betrayed.

Yanagi patted him on the shoulder lightly. "I calculated a 23 percent chance for that possibility. Seiichi has always had a soft spot for Akaya." He informed the other data master.

Inui sighed in defeat. He tensed again, however, when Kirihara spotted Yuina's cot and made a beeline towards her. "Heh, Yanagi-senpai. So this is the niece you are babysitting?" He peered inside the cot before reaching a hand in.

"Don't touch her!" Inui growled, instantly going into protective daddy mode.

The Rikkai sophomore jumped, startled by Inui's sudden yell. He threw Inui a rather miffed look. "It's not like I'm going to hurt Yanagi-senpai's niece." He defended himself.

Yanagi placed one hand on Inui's shoulder before tightening his grip, causing Inui to wince. "He's just worried that you'll wake her." Yanagi covered for Inui's outburst quickly, throwing Inui a sharp look as he did so.

Kirihara nodded understandingly. "I see. I'll be careful not to wake her then." The boy settled with watching the baby, while keeping his hands to himself. "She's tiny. How old is she?"

"About four months." Yanagi replied instantly.

"That's young." Kirihara frowned to himself as he thought of something. "Ne, Yanagi-senpai. Isn't your nee-san still in high school?" The black-haired teen then turned to Yuina. "Having a baby at such a young age. That's not very wise."

Both Inui and Yanagi fidgeted uncomfortably. If Kirihara knew just how old were Yuina's actual parents, he might pop his eyes out of their sockets.

Yanagi excused himself to go get some tea, while Inui sat on the couch, glaring at Kirihara with dislike. What was his worst nemesis doing in his house?

The sophomore continued to watch the baby with mild fascination. He probably didn't come across babies often, with how he was so interested in watching her sleep. Even after Yanagi returned with the tea, he kept his gaze on her.

"Ah! She's moving!" Kirihara said suddenly. Yanagi walked over to her cot and noticed that Yuina was waking up. She gave a tiny yawn before looking up at Kirihara from behind half-closed lids.

'Cry. Cry and make Renji chase that guy out of here.' Inui thought evilly.

Yuina didn't make a noise though, as she continued to stare at Kirihara. The Rikkai sophomore turned to Yanagi excitedly. "Yanagi-senpai. May I play with her? Ne? Ne?"

Before Inui could protest, Yanagi had given a smile and a nod. "Sure. Be careful though."

Kirihara proceeded to make monkey faces at the baby, who smiled at him. Yuina seemed to like the Rikkai devil, much to Inui's dismay. Kirihara gave a laugh and lifted the baby up high, making her smile even more. Inui's eyes narrowed, as he kept a hawk's gaze on the two of them, making sure that Yuina was safe.

After some time, Kirihara bounced Yuina in his arms. "She's a lot like you, Yanagi-senpai. Especially with how her eyes are closed like yours."

"Is that so?" Yanagi seemed pleased.

Kirihara nodded as he continued to play with the baby. Yanagi took a seat next to Inui, who hadn't stopped glaring at Kirihara for the past hour, though Yanagi severely doubted it had any effect, since Inui's eyes were hidden behind his glasses.

After some time, Yuina whimpered. Kirihara stared down at her with uncertainty, not sure of what he should do. It didn't take long before the baby began to cry, and Kirihara was completely stumped by her sudden change of mood. The Rikkai sophomore looked extremely flustered as he tried to get her to stop, as he rocked her and tried to make more monkey faces at her, but that only made her cry louder.

"You made her cry…" Inui growled. Kirihara looked rather guilty at that, and he cast a look in Yanagi's direction in a silent plea for help.

Yanagi gave a chuckle and took Yuina. "It's not your fault. There is a 60 percent chance she's hungry. I'll go make her some milk."

Once Yanagi had left, Kirihara finally turned his attention to Inui. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Babysitting Renji's niece, of course. And what are you doing here anyway?" Inui asked acidly, his tone making it quite obvious that Kirihara wasn't welcome here.

Kirihara seemed to cock his head to one side as he pondered that. "Babysitting Yanagi-senpai's niece too, I guess." He relaxed back against the couch.

"She doesn't need that many babysitters." 'and I want you and your slimy paws away from my daughter as far as possible.' "You've even made her cry." He added nastily.

Just as he calculated, Kirihara looked rather guilty, seemingly still believing that he was at fault. Inui took sadistic pleasure in being mean to 'the enemy'. He couldn't wait till this guy would leave so that he could go back to spending his time with his family.

An idea struck Inui. If this guy wouldn't leave, Inui could always help him make up his mind. He whipped out his latest invention, which looked like a normal cola drink, but was actually a combination of at least 17 different herbs and spices…all untested and not guaranteed, of course.

He put on an apologetic expression on his face, even as he set up the bait for his unsuspecting victim. "I apologize that statement, Kirihara-kun. I can see that you didn't really mean to make her cry. To make up for my rudeness, would you like to have a drink?" He held up a glass of the beverage.

Just as he had calculated, Kirihara's eyes lit up at the sight of the 'cola'. He really was a typical teenager. "Ah, thank you." He reached for the glass. Inui resisted the urge to reach for his notebook as Kirihara took the drink and raised it to his lips. Ii data.

Sadly, Yanagi reentered the room right at that moment, and the Rikkai data master managed to reach Kirihara in time before snatching the glass out of his hand. "I'm sorry. This drink contains something you're allergic to, but Sadaharu has no data on that. Could you feed Yuina? I'm going to have a talk with Sadaharu." He deposited the baby and the milk bottle in Kirihara's hands before seizing Inui's arm in a vice-grip and dragging him over to the kitchen, where they were out of Kirihara's earshot.

It was only after the two of them were at the back did Yanagi release Inui's arm, throwing him his most withering, half-closed lids' glare. "Sadaharu…you've been an absolute jerk to Akaya. Just what on earth is wrong with you?" He demanded, looking moments away from being angry.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "I don't like him." He muttered under his breath.

Yanagi sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Sadaharu. You've been acting really strange recently. Just why are you being so horrible to Akaya? How has he offended you?"

'He's hanging out with you far too much to my liking.' Inui didn't say that out aloud though. It would sound too childish.

There was a long moment of silence between them. Inui had a lot of things he wanted to say to the other data master before him, but for some reason, he was afraid of what Yanagi's reaction might be. Yanagi shook his head at his silence. "Why wouldn't you even explain your behaviour?" The Rikkai data master looked completely disappointed. He turned away from Inui, muttering something that sounded like "I'm going to apologize to Akaya for your rudeness" before walking away, intending to head back out to the living room.

Inui moved instantly, catching his friend's hand to stop him in his steps before spinning him around, so that they were face to face.

"I like you, Renji. I don't like it when you look at someone else…"

Yanagi's eyes opened. His mouth moved, as he tried to say something, but Inui had leaned over before catching his lips with the same intensity as the one he had stolen from Yanagi a few months back, silencing his words. Yanagi's hands pushed against his chest, trying to push him away, but Inui clung on tighter, not wanting to let Yanagi go. Not wanting the other data master to return to the sitting room, where that _guy_ was.

Inui felt slightly guilty for doing this to Yanagi, for the other data master was once again put in a situation beyond his will. Yanagi put up a small amount of resistance for a while before relenting. He couldn't win Inui in a competition of physical strength anyway. The Seigaku data master wanted to convey his feelings through action, having held back for such a long time, and he continued to kiss the Rikkai data master, who, like when they had their first kiss, was completely unresponsive.

Kirihara just had to have the bad timing of walking in on them at that precise moment, holding Yuina in his arms. "Yanagi-senpai, your niece seems to be full and…" His eyes widened at the scene before him, and he nearly dropped Yuina in his surprise.

Yanagi noticed him and tried to push Inui away again, but Inui had, if anything, become more aggressive. Somehow, the presence of his rival awakened a possessive side of the Seigaku data master, and by the time Inui had finally decided to release Yanagi, the brunette had to take quite a while to catch his breath.

Kirihara continued to stare blankly at them, even as Inui threw him a 'Renji's mine' smirk. After a long while, the Rikkai sophomore blinked before speaking up. "So…Yanagi-senpai…the two of you are the same as Niou-senpai and Yagyuu-senpai?"

Inui threw a glance at his friend. Was the brunette going to deny that? Yanagi closed his eyes. "Yes." He spoke up, and Inui felt his heart sing at that answer.

Kirihara blinked again. "And the two of you are the same as Sanada-fukubuchou and Yukimura-buchou?"

"Aa." Yanagi replied again. Yanagi was finally admitting to be his. Indirectly, of course.

Kirihara blinked at them. "Okay." He gave a shrug before heading back out to the sitting room. Yanagi stared at his retreating back. "Just as I've calculated…Akaya is so simple-minded. He accepts this so easily…" He muttered.

Inui didn't care too much about that. He wrapped his arms around Yanagi, his new prize. "I'm glad, Renji."

"I didn't say anything, Sadaharu." The Rikkai data master spoke quietly.

Right at that moment, a small notebook fell out of Yanagi's pocket, and before he could pick it up, Inui had beaten him to it first, though the book had fallen open, revealing the last few entries.

_Chances of Sadaharu finally snapping-100 percent._

His eyes skimmed through the entries quickly. Everything…was calculated by Yanagi already. From the moment Yanagi had named Yuina after Inui's surname, he was already plotting to get Inui to confess. Yanagi had made it seem like he and Kirihara were growing close, just to make Inui jealous. Inui had unwittingly been led on a leash all along, going according to Yanagi's data.

Inui closed the book, handing it back to Yanagi. "No wonder you're the original data master, Renji." He said solemnly.

Yanagi returned the stare calmly. "It's about time you have a taste of what frustration is like, Sadaharu." He smirked, sounding satisfied. He thought for a moment before adding, "also, I still owe you one for that data trick you pulled on me during the Kantou tournaments. We're even now, Sadaharu."

Inui didn't say anything to that. He wouldn't let Yanagi have the last laugh. With that, he pulled the other data master to him and kissed him again.

At long last, Yanagi returned the kiss.

To be continued…

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

-Gwyn86


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 17

They were officially dating now…or at least, that was what Yanagi told the others. Yukimura had seemed delighted by that, as he gave Yanagi a smile before congratulating both of them. Sanada was incredibly displeased, but he gave a resigned sigh before wishing the two of them well, though he did pull Inui aside and hinted not so subtly that if Inui made Yanagi unhappy, he'd knock _all_ the data out of Inui's head. Atobe merely smirked and stated that he had known all along, or, in his words it would be "About time, you two foolish peasants." When he told Tezuka, the wooden block had no reaction whatsoever. That was not new data.

As for Inui, ever since he had finally admitted his feelings, he felt that he and Yanagi had gotten closer. He tried to visit both Yanagi and Yuina at least four times a week, if his schedule permitted it. He seemed to have developed what Yukimura dubbed as a 'Renji-complex', something which amused Yanagi to no end. The Rikkai data master humoured him though.

"Ah, Sadaharu. You're here." Yanagi smiled as he greeted the other data master at the door. The Seigaku data master was here for a visit again.

"Tadaima." Inui returned the smile, even as he wrapped his arms around his friend…no…boyfriend. He had managed to convince his parents to allow him to spend the night out again. A 'study session', as he put it.

Yanagi chuckled lightly. "I take it you're staying the night again."

"You don't want me to?" Inui mock frowned.

Yanagi shrugged. "Maybe. You always end up playing with our daughter instead of doing your homework when you're here. I don't want to be the one to have to answer to your parents when your report card comes in."

"You're so cold, Renji." The two shared a laugh before heading to the table for a light supper. After dealing with the dishes, Inui started on his homework, wanting to finish fast so that he could spend time with his family. Yanagi took some of his other homework before reading through it, discussing with Inui over some of the answers.

Once that was done, Inui gave a happy sigh before collapsing onto the couch, feeling tired after a whole day of school and work. Yanagi held out a cup of tea before him, which he took, giving Yanagi his thanks and sipping slowly. His boyfriend knew precisely what type of tea he liked, and at what temperature. It was a bonus for dating a data master.

Their daughter was in her cot, and the six months old baby was cooing to herself. When she first started to vocalize, Inui had promptly called up Tezuka (who was in Kyuushu rehabilitating) a few times just to gush about his baby girl over the phone. Needless to say, Tezuka always cut him off 5 seconds into the call. His other victim was Yukimura, who humoured him whenever he called. He didn't dare to call Sanada, and as for Atobe…it was always his answering machine that picked up.

Inui glanced to the side, watching as his daughter waved her tiny fists in the air, while continuing to fill the air with her 'oohs' and 'aahs'. He smiled with fatherly pride, happy to see his baby girl's progress.

Yanagi walked over to the cot, and Yuina giggled when she saw him. He scooped the baby out of her cot before heading over to Inui. "You're tired, Sadaharu. Why not retire early for the night?"

"No." Inui sat up on the couch, trying to shake his sleepiness away. "I-"

"Hardly get to spend time with the two of you, was what you wanted to say right?" Yanagi bounced Yuina lightly in his arms. "You've already been with us plenty, Sadaharu."

"Not nearly as much as I would've liked. At this rate Yuina's not going to know me. She'd think her nanny is her parent instead." Inui muttered unhappily.

Yanagi placed his daughter on his lap, supporting her with one arm. With his other hand, he stroked Inui's hair. Inui closed his eyes to the sensation, as Yanagi's touch had a calming effect on him. "We're still in junior high, Sadaharu. Our schedule is out of our hands, so you really shouldn't push yourself. Yuina didn't exactly choose the best of times to make her arrival into our lives, but we'll manage. We have for over a year already anyway."

Inui opened his eyes again. "Had it been so long?" He mentally calculated. Well, more than a year for Yanagi, but not him. He only found out when Yanagi was five months pregnant after all.

Yuina continued to coo in Yanagi's arms. The Rikkai data master patted her softly, trying to get her to sleep. The baby was being persistent in staying awake though, watching her parents while putting her tiny fist in her mouth. So stubborn. Yanagi chuckled inwardly. He hadn't been wrong in calling her an Inui. He threw a glance at the older Inui, who was obviously sleepy, but was also struggling to stay awake.

Yanagi gave up. He placed Yuina on Inui's lap for a while before heading to the back, making another cup of tea. When he was done, he headed back to the couch, handing Inui the drink. "This should keep you awake a while more, since you're insisting on 'spending more quality time' with us."

Inui downed the drink quickly. He did seem more awake after that, as he played with his daughter, laughing softly when she wrapped her whole hand around his finger. Yanagi gave a mildly amused sigh, noting that Inui was back to his habit again. A daughter-complex and a Renji-complex. Was Inui going to develop a data complex next?

After a while, his daughter got tired of playing, and she yawned, looking like she was finally going to sleep. Inui rocked her for a while until her eyes slid close before placing her on his lap again.

"By the way, Renji. I've collected some data on Yamabuki, and I've recorded their practice. Would you like to watch the recording with me?" Inui held up said tape before the brunette.

The Rikkai data master snorted. "I'll pass. I've already taken their data a few weeks back, and frankly speaking, we Rikkai kings aren't so interested in Yamabuki. It's your school we're more wary off."

Inui pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You really shouldn't underestimate your opponents, Renji. That was what caused Rikkai's loss in the Kantou Tournaments." He paused a while, fighting to keep a straight face as he noticed the mildly affronted look on Yanagi's face. Inui took out his notebook, flipping through it before stopping at one of the pages. "It's going to be the Nationals in one month, 17 hours, 23 minutes and 15 seconds. If all goes well, there is a 95 percent chance our schools would be facing each other in the finals. Who knows, this time your school may emerge champion again. Well, not if Seigaku can help it though." He threw Yanagi a playful grin.

"Now who's underestimating whose opponents?" Yanagi retorted. He allowed Inui to pass the baby over to him, as the Seigaku data master got up to switch on the video player. When he returned, he sat on the couch, inching a little closer to Yanagi, so that their hands were nearly touching. Inui flipped to a clean page of his notebook, even as Yanagi watched the screen with intense concentration. For a while, there was silence between them, with the only sounds coming from the matches currently playing. Halfway through the matches though, Yanagi could feel a soft touch on his waist area. Throwing a discreet glance down, he realized that Inui had wrapped an arm around him with his free hand, while his other hand continued to scribble unceasingly into his notebook. Yanagi smiled, already used to Inui's increasingly frequent displays of affection, side effects of the Renji-complex he was having. The poor teen must have really pent up his feelings for too long. Yanagi couldn't help feeling slightly smug that at least he had better control of his feelings than Inui did. Or at least he had better control over his expression of feelings.

After the video had ended, Yanagi turned his collected data in his head for a while before turning to Inui. "You were right, Sadaharu. They shouldn't be underestimated. They did make it to the Nationals after all. Rikkai will be paying close attention to them."

"You seem to be paying close attention to one Sengoku Kiyosumi in particular." Inui muttered, not even bothering to hide the jealousy from his voice.

"He is easily the strongest threat from that school." Yanagi stated calmly. He shook his head at seeing Inui's expression. "You're too old to be sulking, Sadaharu." He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Inui's cheek. "You really are strangely possessive, more so than what my data had initially calculated."

"You'll have to correct your data then, Renji." The Seigaku data master didn't look sleepy anymore. On the contrary, his glasses glinted even as he stared at his boyfriend, who shifted slightly under the gaze. Slowly, he leaned over, closing the distance between them as he pressed his lips to Yanagi's, lightly at first, but with increasing intensity. Yanagi returned the kiss and wrapped one arm around Inui's neck to pull him closer as he did so.

Inui wanted to memorize Yanagi's data, easily the most interesting one out of all the data he had ever collected in his life. He wanted to know Yanagi's likes and dislikes, wanted to know what made Yanagi truly happy, to make up for those months of hell Inui had put him through. Yanagi was an enigma, and Inui couldn't get an accurate data on him. The only thing Inui knew currently was that his boyfriend was hardly submissive. He might have been Yuina's 'mother', but every kiss, every touch he shared with Inui was a battle for dominance. Yanagi would let him win in the end though. Inui mused that if he let his guard down, Yanagi might top him instead…not that their relationship had gone that far. Yet. There were times Inui wondered if Sanada found himself in the same position with Yukimura. Rikkai demons were just too unpredictable.

Their daughter chose that moment to ruin the mood though, as she woke abruptly, not happy that her human cradle (Yanagi) was moving about too much. She began to cry, causing her parents to pull apart. Inui gave a disappointed groan, while Yanagi chuckled.

"We had better put her to bed. Speaking of which, it's already late. You had better go to sleep too or you will be late for school tomorrow." Yanagi bounced his daughter lightly in his arms. She continued to cry though, and Inui took over the task of putting her to sleep, as he rocked her in his arms, speaking to her softly while recounting his day's adventures. Not a few minutes later, the baby was asleep again.

"Am I that boring that she'd go to sleep whenever I talk to her?" Inui wondered aloud, pouting slightly.

Yanagi took the baby. "It's your voice. There is a very low, soothing quality to your voice. She likes it."

"And there is an 88.88 percent chance she's not the only one." Inui teased lightly.

He noted that a faint flush had appeared on Yanagi's cheeks, though the other data master merely shrugged. "Perhaps." He got up, carrying the baby in his arms as he headed to his room. He stopped before he reached his door and turned around. "You're not joining us, Sadaharu?"

"I'll be there in a while." Inui promised, even as he put away his notebook and video tapes. He gave an inward smile as Yanagi went into his room. What had taken him so long to confess anyway…

XXX

It was a good thing Inui had finally settled his feelings with Yanagi, as now, the impending Nationals was already causing the tension in Seigaku to be raised to higher levels. If Inui was still in a dilemma over his feelings, he would have been insane by now.

Oishi was doing a good job at being the temporary captain in Tezuka's absence. While he wasn't as strict as his best friend, he had, nonetheless, increased practice for all the regulars, trying to keep them ready for the final battle.

"Nice save, Inui." Oishi complimented as the data master managed to return one extremely difficult shot, scoring a point from the vice-captain. Inui wiped the sweat from his face. He had played against Fuji, Kikumaru and Oishi so far. He had wanted to play against Echizen for data's sake, but apparently the youngest regular had played truant right after his match against Momo, running off to the cafeteria and not returning. Such a pity.

Inui was still halfway through a game against Kaidou when Oishi called it a day. After the club members (including Echizen, who returned five minutes before practice ended) assembled, Oishi gave them all one final bit of (motherly) advice before allowing them to dismiss.

"Ah…I'm hungry. Where are we going to eat, Echizen?" Momoshiro could be heard complaining somewhere on his left. Kikumaru had bounced over to join Momo and Echizen. Fuji and Kawamura went home together, while Oishi made sure the courts were clean and the clubroom was locked before he joined Kikumaru's group.

Inui waited until everyone had left before he closed his notebook, deciding to let his data gathering rest for the day too. He picked up his bag and made to leave the school when he noticed Yanagi standing at the school gates.

"Renji!" Inui jogged over, delighted to see the Rikkai data master there. He noticed that Yanagi had his notebook in his hands, and he could roughly calculate that there was a 98 percent chance Yanagi would have a video recorder in his bag too. Most likely the other data master was here scouting. Still…Yanagi had waited up for him? Inui resisted the urge to throw his arms around his boyfriend, Kikumaru-style.

Yanagi folded his arms. "You're slow. I should have gone on ahead if I had known that you'd be the last to leave. You've really exceeded my data this round." His tone was more teasing than scolding.

Inui looked mildly sheepish. "Gomen, Renji. I certainly hadn't calculated the possibility of a sudden visit from you. Well. Shall we go then?"

"Go where?" Yanagi raised an eyebrow, looking mildly curious as Inui started walking towards no direction in particular.

Inui grinned. "It's a date, of course."

Yanagi said nothing as he walked alongside his boyfriend, who was seemingly intent on taking him on a tour around the whole city. They had been walking for over half an hour already, and Inui didn't seem like he was stopping anywhere in particular anytime soon.

"You're so strange, Sadaharu. Don't most people choose mornings for a date, not evenings?" Yanagi asked playfully.

Again the sheepish grin which Yanagi was getting increasingly fond of. Inui said nothing, though Yanagi looked down when the other data master had taken his hand.

"I've thought about this for quite a while already." Inui began, turning to him. "Ever since a few months back, I've promised myself that once you've had our child, and once you're free to leave the house again, I'll show you around. You've been cooped up in the house for so many months, this is the least I could do for you."

Yanagi certainly didn't want to remember that time. He had kept his mind focused on his pregnancy, thinking of his child to keep his mind off the loneliness and boredom which came with being cooped up for so long. Still…was Inui still blaming himself over that again?

"I've mentioned before, Sadaharu. It's not your fault. Males don't usually get pregnant from drinks, so that possibility wouldn't have been included in either of our data." He pulled Inui down by the front of his shirt, so that they were nearly of the same height now. "Well then, since you're taking me out on a date, shouldn't you at least make it memorable? We have been walking for ages, and I do think that it's around dinnertime now." He allowed his eyes to open, knowing the effect it had on Inui.

Surely enough, he could see the other data master deflate. "Aa. Let's go for dinner then." Inui led the way. Yanagi allowed him to, since Inui would be more familiar of this area than he was.

Before long, both of them were seated at one of the tables in a cozy Japanese restaurant. Yanagi tried to keep his face straight as he noticed the look of absolute concentration on Inui's face, as the other data master was most likely memorizing the menu. He was the first to order, while Inui took about 15 minutes to decide on his order, seemingly calculating the nutritional value of each dish before he did so. The waiter attending to their table left seething.

For a while, the two of them struck a conversation regarding the Nationals. Yanagi mentioned Yukimura's return to the tennis club, having recovered from his successful surgery. Inui wasn't too sure if Tezuka would have recovered enough to return by then, but Yanagi didn't have a doubt for that. Surely if Yukimura were to stand in the courts, the only one who might have a chance against him would be Tezuka.

The brunette paused at that thought. That was not exactly true. There was the first year rookie Echizen too. After Sanada's defeat, he realized that his data on Echizen was very much inaccurate. That guy's potential was limitless. Yanagi did not have a doubt that the first year might become another Yukimura in years to come.

"Renji?" He blinked when he realized he was addressed. Inui looked mildly concerned. "You look a little tired. Maybe we should cut dinner short?"

"I'm fine, Sadaharu." He gave a chuckle when Inui reached out to touch his cheek. "Honestly, Sadaharu. I've agreed to go on a date with you, but with the way you're acting, it's as if I've agreed to marry you instead."

Inui's hand stilled, and Yanagi could almost see the thoughts going through his boyfriend's head. He gave a snort. "No, Sadaharu."

"I didn't say anything, Renji." The bespectacled teen tried to look innocent. He didn't really need to say anything though. It was written all over his face.

"It's too soon to think about that." Yanagi replied firmly. "Marriage is something I'm not going to think about until I'm 20."

Inui's glasses glinted. "There's nothing wrong with making arrangements early first. It's for Yuina's future too…" His boyfriend had, thankfully, dropped the subject at the incredulous look Yanagi had given him.

Their food arrived soon enough. Inui picked up his utensils and began eating, but before he could take even a mouthful of his food, a certain redheaded acrobatic player popped up at his table.

"Hoi hoi! Inui! What a coincidence to find the two of you here too. What's it about a marriage?" He chirped.

Inui choked on his food and promptly went into a coughing fit. Yanagi reached over and patted him on the back until he stopped coughing. When the Seigaku data master had managed to recompose himself, he looked up to find Kikumaru, Oishi, Momoshiro and Echizen standing by his table. Good grief. According to his data, these people didn't make it a habit to come to this particular restaurant at all, so what were they all doing here today. It didn't make any sense!

"Who's getting married?" Momoshiro asked curiously. Trust Momo to be the first to misunderstand.

Yanagi shook his head, giving all of them a calm smile. "Nobody. We were just discussing some essays."

"Oh." Momo sounded satisfied by that explanation. Echizen had given a smirk, pulling his cap lower as he threw both Inui and Yanagi a look before giving his usual 'mada mada dane' phrase.

Yanagi gave them a polite smile. "Since all of you are here, would you like to join our table?"

Inui wanted to protest to that. Wasn't this supposed to be their date?

To his horror, his teammates agreed to that, immediately dropping into the seats next to them. Oishi had voiced out his apology for disrupting them, but Yanagi reassured the temporary captain that he wasn't disturbing anything, much to Inui's dismay.

Inui threw a glance at the brunette, who looked perfectly at ease even though he was surrounded by Seigaku regulars. He couldn't help wondering if this was going according to Yanagi's data. Again.

Momoshiro and Kikumaru seemed to be rather awed to be in one of the Rikkai king's presence, and they bombarded him with questions, all of which were answered calmly by the Rikkai data master.

Inui kept glancing at his watch, biting the urge to feed his teammates Inui Juice when they just didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. He threw a look at Yanagi, wondering if this was part of the other data master's plans.

Momo and Kikumaru continued on with their never ending questions, while Oishi and Echizen concentrated on their meals. Kikumaru took a huge mouthful of his food and started his next question.

"Sho wat agh juu gooing gear?"

"Eiji!" Oishi chided immediately.

Kikumaru gave a sheepish grin, swallowed, and tried again.

"So what…"

"…are we doing here, was what you were trying to say right?" Yanagi completed the sentence for him. His eyes opened very briefly before closing again. "We're on a date, of course."

Momoshiro choked on his food that very instant, as did Inui, who had not calculated the possibility of that unexpectedly direct statement. All eyes turned towards Yanagi (sans Echizen's), as if trying to ascertain whether he was joking. The next moment, Inui found three pairs of eyes on him.

"A data date, of course. We met up for the purpose of collecting data." Yanagi clarified, sipping calmly on his drink. Inui could sense an underlying hint of sadistic glee behind his calm words.

Momoshiro sagged with relief at that. "Oh. That kind of date. Don't scare us like that, Yanagi-san."

"What were you thinking anyway? There can't possibly be anything between Sadaharu and I now, can there?" He threw Inui a very small smirk. Inui was a hundred percent sure Yanagi was enjoying his revenge.

Momoshiro scratched his head. "Yeah. That's right…" He began, though the next moment Inui had placed a glass in front of him.

"Momoshiro. I have just made a new vegetable juice, and I need someone to test it for me. Would you like to have a drink?" His glasses glinted menacingly.

The Seigaku dunk smash player paled instantly, as did the other three occupants of the table. Only Yanagi retained his calm expression. The Rikkai data master reached out wordlessly, taking the drink before finishing it in a few gulps. That caused the other three to pale even more as they stared at him. Yanagi licked his lips briefly. "Hmm…seaweed, onions and mushrooms. Interesting flavour."

"You've managed to guess the ingredients, as usual." Inui finished the last bit of food on his plate before standing up, noting that Yanagi's plate was empty too. "Shall we take our leave now, Renji? It's getting late, and there is still a lot more data to collect."

"Hmm…that sounds reasonable." Yanagi stood up too, taking his bag. He excused himself and followed Inui, who paid for their food before walking out of the door.

XXX

Inui walked his boyfriend home, not speaking a word on the way back. Yanagi's eyes opened slightly, glancing at the Seigaku data master. Perhaps he might have gone overboard with bullying Inui. Inui was giving him the silent treatment.

He racked his brains, trying to come up with an apology to pacify the bespectacled teen. He was so busy with his thoughts that it was a while before he realized Inui was taking a different route home than usual.

"Sadaharu. I think you…" Yanagi began, though the next moment Inui had taken his hand and led him to an alley. The Rikkai data master gave a soft grunt of surprise as his Seigaku counterpart pushed him against the wall and began kissing him. It was a battle for dominance again. Yanagi always thought that it was very thrilling, seeing his controlled boyfriend became this aggressive. As was usual, he would let Inui win the battle.

When they pulled apart, Yanagi tried to catch his breath back, while Inui straightened his glasses. "Was this part of your calculations too, Renji?" Inui murmured near his ear.

Yanagi grinned. "Not at all, Sadaharu. You've exceeded my data this round."

"I see. So you've decided to get me worked up because you want me to go to your place for a sleepover again?" Yanagi didn't need to reply to that. Inui knew the answer anyway. "It worked." Inui said solemnly before kissing him again.

XXX

Yanagi had just left the shower, and was toweling his hair dry even as he walked into the living room, where Inui was playing with their daughter. Again. He threw a glance at the untouched pile of homework on the table and gave a sigh, shaking his head.

"Sadaharu." Yanagi chided sternly. Inui gave a sheepish grin and placed Yuina in her cot before picking up his books, starting work on his maths homework. Yanagi joined him at the table, working on his own set of homework, and for a long while, the two of them did not speak, the only sounds being the pen's scratching on paper.

"By the way, Renji. I've analyzed that drink's components. The one which gave us Yuina." Inui spoke up abruptly, passing a small notebook over to the other data master, who took it and began flipping through it.

"Oh? And how did you do that?" Yangi asked curiously.

Inui's glasses glinted. "I drank it."

The notebook slipped out of Yanagi's hands even as his eyes snapped open. "You what? You can't be serious! Are you…" He lowered his gaze, not being able to continue on that sentence.

"I'm not." Inui replied the unspoken question. He tapped a pen against the table lightly, as he tried to phrase his explanation. "I have been doing a lot of thinking about that drink, since I've thought about something. I might not have been Yuina's father. The one who drank the drink would become one parent. That was unavoidable, but what about the second parent? It could have been anyone. Another thought came to my mind then. Would the drink have worked if there was no second parent? So I deliberately left one ingredient out of the drink."

"Baka Sadaharu! What would you have done if the drink had ended up successful?" Yanagi scolded, even as he tried to recover from that scare.

Inui grinned. "I haven't thought of that, but well, risk-taking is part of the data collecting business anyway. Besides, Yuina wouldn't mind a sibling, I'm sure."

Yanagi gave a groan and massaged his head. "This is no joking matter, Sadaharu. It's difficult being teenage parents to one, and you want to add another one to that? You're really impossible."

Inui reached out and touched Yanagi's hand lightly. "Gomen. I must admit that it was rather reckless of me to do that."

Yanagi gave a sigh. "Honestly." He calmed down and looked up again. "Well? What was that ingredient you left out?"

"My blood, or if I am to be the maternal parent, then it's your blood. I believe you need an item containing DNA in order for this drink to have any effect. It could be blood, hair, nail, or even a skin sample. At least, that is my hypothesis."

Yanagi cocked his head to one side. "I see. So if a bird happened to fly past when you were creating that drink, and happened to drop a feather into it, would Yuina have wings?" He joked.

Inui frowned. "I believe it works only with _human_ DNA. I have yet to come across human-animal hybrids in everything I've read, and I severely doubt my drinks can do that."

Yanagi chuckled, throwing a glance at Yuina's cot. "So if your blood wasn't added into the mix, it would have been just a harmless juice…"

Inui looked slightly guilty. "I'm sorry, Renji. I was careless."

Yanagi shook his head. "If that had happened, we wouldn't have her. I do not regret having Yuina." He reached out, placing his hand on top of Inui's. "If anything, I'm glad it's you, Sadaharu."

To be continued…

**Please Read Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.**

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 18 (Final Chapter)

The Nationals was over, and the tension that had mounted throughout the year was slowly beginning to die down. Instead, a new mood sprung up, as all of them prepared for the Christmas season.

The other five promised to meet at Yanagi's house. On December 25th, Yukimura walked alongside Sanada as they made their way to the double storey house. Yukimura held a plushie in his hands, while Sanada held several presents in his arms, tottering dangerously because of the weight.

"Sorry to trouble you." Yukimura said lightly as he threw a glance at his boyfriend.

Sanada maintained his stoic façade as he concentrated on holding the gifts, not wanting to tumble down with all those presents, as that would ruin his reputation as Rikkai's feared vice captain. "It's nothing, Yukimura. You're still recovering from the surgery, and from your match against Echizen. It's a better idea if I carry these."

"Thank you, Genichirou." Yukimura smiled at the cap-wearing boy, and the stoic vice-captain hid his face behind the pile of presents he was carrying, so that Yukimura wouldn't see his slightly flushed face.

Both reached the house, and Yukimura rang the doorbell, being the only one with his hands free to do so. "Merry Christmas." He greeted even as he and Sanada stepped into the room.

Tezuka and Atobe were in the sitting room, decorating the tree…or at least, Tezuka was doing most of the decorating, while Atobe was giving commands, putting up small, expensive looking trinkets on the tree once in a while. Sanada set the pile of presents under the tree before walking back to Yukimura, helping to take the blue-haired boy's coat.

Inui walked into the room at that moment. "Ah, you're both here. Merry Christmas." Inui greeted them cheerfully. The Seigaku data master wore a Santa Claus outfit, and was even sporting a fake beard. Sanada's eyes bulged at seeing Inui in that ridiculous outfit. The cap-wearing boy threw a side-glance at Yukimura. To his dismay, the blue haired boy seemed to like the costume though, as he gave Inui an approving smile.

"Why are you wearing those ridiculous clothes?" Sanada asked, staring incredulously at the overly red assemble.

Inui stared down at his clothes. "What's wrong with this? You lack the Christmas spirit, Sanada. Even Renji…"

"Yanagi most certainly wouldn't dress himself up like a clown!" Sanada retorted instantly, trying to defend his fellow Rikkai demon. "He's not like you, he's more…"

"Merry Christmas, Genichirou, Seiichi." Yanagi entered the room too at that precise moment, and he greeted them happily. Sanada's jaw dropped when he realized that Yanagi was also wearing a Santa Claus outfit, complete with a Santa hat too. Inui must have corrupted him! The Rikkai data master held his daughter in his arms, and apparently the baby was dressed as a mini version of her parents, minus the beard and the hat. Yuina giggled happily at the sight of the other two Rikkai demons, waving her hands in the air. When Yukimura called her name, she squirmed in Yanagi's arms, wanting to be let down. Yanagi chuckled before lowering her carefully to the ground.

Yuina crawled over to Yukimura before sitting before him, holding up her hands as she wanted to be picked up. The blue-haired boy scooped her up into his arms, and she settled comfortably and cooed, watching all the teens around her with childlike interest.

Tezuka and Atobe were finally done with the tree, and both teens came over to strike a conversation with them, or at least Atobe did. Tezuka stood with his arms folded, speaking about as much words as Sanada did. Both Atobe and Yukimura took turns holding the baby, while the two stoic ones preferred to be an audience. As for Inui and Yanagi, they allowed their friends to play with their daughter, but kept a hawk's eye on her all the same.

Inui gave a chuckle as Yukimura had somehow managed to persuade Sanada to lift her up high, since Yuina liked that. The baby giggled and flailed happily, and Inui chuckled some more.

Yanagi raised an eyebrow at him, but commented nothing on that. Inui knew that his boyfriend was wondering why he was laughing. He lightly touched Yanagi's hand, getting his attention before speaking up. "Ne, Renji. Don't you think our daughter is going to be so spoilt?"

The brunette chuckled at that. "Mm…that does seem to be a possibility." Whenever the others came for a visit, they would try to help out with babysitting Yuina. Atobe was best at preparing her milk, Yukimura was best at making her laugh, and Sanada was best at changing her diapers (initially, Yukimura wanted to do that but Sanada stopped him, taking over that task instead. Who knew that he'd actually excel at it). As for Tezuka…he was best at making her cry, or making her scurry far, far away from him.

By the looks of it, Yuina was still intimidated by his poker face, as she began to cry in Yukimura's arms. Tezuka averted his gaze. "She seems to be afraid of me." He spoke flatly. Inui's calculated a 20 percent chance that he was upset by the idea.

"I apologize, Tezuka. Yuina does seem to be rather afraid of strangers."

"I'm no stranger…" Tezuka pointed out.

"You should smile more then, or she's going to take you as one." Atobe smirked.

Tezuka frowned in response to that. Inui slinked over to his former captain's side, lowering his voice so that only Tezuka would be able to hear him. "It shouldn't be that hard, Tezuka. After all, you did smile when Echizen won his match…or was it because of Echizen himself?"

Tezuka said nothing to Inui's statement, though his face turned 0.05 percent more flushed than usual.

Yanagi shook his head at his boyfriend's antics. "I'll get more cookies." He excused himself and headed to the kitchen. Inui brightened up. "I'll go with you." He said cheerfully.

Tezuka and Sanada exchanged a look at that. "And we'll be going too." They stated instantly. Sanada passed Yuina over to Yukimura before marching off with Tezuka to the kitchen after Inui, walking in a fashion similar to what wardens would do to an inmate.

Yanagi raised an eyebrow at seeing the entire entourage walk in. He chuckled as a rather gloomy looking Inui joined him at arranging the cookies onto a tray. "So they've volunteered to help out too?"

"They've invited themselves over alright." Inui mumbled. It seemed that those two hadn't forgiven the two data masters yet for one teeny, careless miscalculation on their part. Well, not exactly teeny, but they had been careless indeed.

XXX

Over One Month Ago

"_Renji?" Inui set his bag in his room and walked out before looking around, seeking out his boyfriend._

_He found Yanagi in his room, watching a video intently even as he memorised all data. Inui shut the door behind him and went to sit on the bed, next to Yanagi. However did the Rikkai data master collect data and attend his practices at the same time was beyond him, especially with how he had managed to record the whole practice from start to end. _

"_You people aren't loosening up even though the Nationals have ended, are you?" Inui asked even as he adjusted his glasses. Rikkai Dai was as scary as usual._

_Yanagi turned to him momentarily. "Of course, Sadaharu. We will have to reclaim the throne when we enter senior high after all."_

_Inui shook his head. "You are welcome to try." He threw a glance up at the clock. "What time are the others supposed to drop by to babysit Yuina again?"_

_Yanagi followed his gaze. "They hadn't mentioned, but according to their usual schedule, they will most likely be dropping by within an hour."_

_Inui nodded, agreeing to his boyfriend's statement. He vaguely wondered what he should be doing to pass time while waiting for the others. He would love to play with his baby daughter but she was sleeping, and while the video Yanagi had recorded looked interesting, he wasn't really in the mood to collect data that day._

_He gave a sigh, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. A short nap before the others dropped by sounded good._

_Yanagi turned away from the recording briefly. "How rare, Sadaharu, to see you bored like this."_

"_Mm…I'm not really in the mood to do anything…" He readjusted his glasses and tried to scratch the itch on his cheek, but unfortunately the task was made difficult by the fact that his whole face was bandaged._

_Yanagi looked mildly guilty at that. "You still haven't recovered from the Nationals…"_

"_Aa." Good grief. The Devil Akaya could dish out a hell of a thrashing if he wanted to. Inui made a mental note to stay out of Akaya's bad side…if he could help it…_

_Yanagi reached out, tracing his face lightly. "I'm sorry, Sadaharu. I should have been able to restrain him better." He muttered softly._

"_You were his doubles partner. Not his keeper. It wasn't your fault, Renji." Inui tried to scratch the itch again, and had to give up. He gave a sigh and let his hand return to his side. "Besides, it was only a nasty looking gash made when the ball grazed my forehead. That doctor was overreacting when he had my whole head bandaged. I was only playing tennis. It wasn't like I was involved in a car accident." _

_Yanagi chuckled at Inui's statement. The Seigaku data master's hand twitched, feeling the persistent itch on his face again. Inui sat up, giving a mildly frustrated growl. "I'm going to take off these bandages. The wound should have healed by now."_

"_I'll help you redress the wound. Lie down, Sadaharu." Yanagi gently pushed him back onto the bed. The brunette left briefly before returning with some fresh gauze and some iodine. He undressed the bandages carefully, cleaning the wound before redressing it in a simple dressing, not mummifying Inui's whole face like what the doctor did._

"_Do I have to lie down while you do that?" Inui asked, amused._

_Yanagi leaned over to inspect his work. "Mm…I work better this way, Sadaharu." His fingers danced across Inui's face as he worked, creating a tingle with his gentle touch. It was incredible that those hands, which held such incredible strength when wielding a racket, could also hold such gentleness. Inui's eyes closed as he felt comfortable, and was on the verge of dozing off. _

_Yanagi seemed to have finished replacing the gauze to Inui's wound, and he continued to stroke Inui's face, planting kisses to Inui's forehead, near the wound. Inui's eyes opened again, staring up at Yanagi, whose face was hovering a mere inches away from him. He vaguely mused that Yanagi was very attractive up close. As Yanagi leaned over to kiss him again, Inui couldn't help wondering if this would be what it felt like if Yanagi topped._

…_Wait a minute…_

_The next moment, Inui flipped Yanagi over, so that their roles were reversed. Yanagi's eyes opened as his back hit the bed, while Inui leaned over him._

"_Ehe…you've noticed. I've calculated a 66 percent chance that you would, but I was placing my hopes on the remaining 34 percent." Yanagi grinned playfully. _

"_You underestimate my data." Inui smirked before bending over to kiss Yanagi. The brunette wrapped his arms around Inui's neck, deepening the kiss. Inui's hand rested lightly on Yanagi's stomach, feeling the warm skin beneath his fingers. He traced Yanagi's abdominal muscles even as he continued to kiss the other data master, noting with a hint of evil glee that Yanagi wasn't as well built as he was, since the brunette was more on the slender side instead. His fingers came to the scar, and Inui traced it with a deep feeling of respect, as he was reminded of what his boyfriend had to go through._

_There was a muffled gasp from Yanagi, and Inui's fingers halted. The incision still hadn't healed yet? "I'm sorry Renji. I didn't realize this is still hurting you." He said apologetically._

_Yanagi's face was slightly flushed, as he avoided Inui's gaze. "No Sadaharu. It doesn't hurt."_

'_It doesn't hurt?' Inui studied Yanagi's expression. It didn't take him long to figure out. Ah. So it was not pain... Sadistically, he ran his fingers over the scar again. He felt the other teen shiver beneath him, as Yanagi turned another shade redder. Yanagi bit Inui's bottom lip lightly in retaliation. Their make out session grew increasingly bolder, and Inui was so preoccupied with trying to slip his hand under Yanagi's shirt that he didn't hear the room door open._

_The sounds of someone close to hyperventilating brought him back to earth, and for a brief moment he feared he had cut off Yanagi's air supply for too long. He pulled back slightly to check on his boyfriend's condition, but while Yanagi looked rather glazed-eyed and breathless, he certainly didn't look like he was suffering from a severe lack of oxygen._

_The sounds were still there though, so if it wasn't Yanagi…_

_Inui slowly turned around._

"_Inui Sadaharu! How dare you! You…you…" Yup. Poor Sanada looked like he needed medical attention. Immediately. If the lack of air didn't finish him off, a heart attack would._

_If that wasn't bad enough…_

"_Inui! When a man loves another man they…" That pretty much led to another of Tezuka's special birds and bees talk._

XXX

There was a 99 percent chance those two certainly hadn't forgiven them for that yet. Inui sighed, wondering if those two would ever let the two data masters out of their sight again.

Yanagi tended to the drinks near him, and when the oven made a sound, the brunette headed over immediately.

"Sadaharu. I believe our home-made cookies are done." He said cheerfully, taking out a tray of UFO (Unidentified Fermented Objects).

Inui's glasses glinted. "Oh? Those Live Bites turned out perfectly." He stated happily.

"L-Live Bites?" Sanada turned slightly green. That did sound like a fitting name. Some of those cookies were moving…

Inui gave him a calm stare. "That's right. Initially I wanted to name them Love Bites, since this is the brainchild of both Renji and I, but that sounded so corny so I've improvised." He cheerfully took the biscuits and drinks out, heading back to the living room. Seeing how the two wooden blocks had paled, Inui grinned. He was going to have his revenge for their interruption of his alone time with Yanagi.

Sadly, aside from Inui and Yanagi, no one else touched the cookies or drinks, as they favoured the bottles of soft drinks instead. Inui couldn't help sulking a little because his friends were not appreciative of his efforts, and Yanagi patted him on the back to cheer him up.

The teens continued on with their Christmas celebration. Tezuka and Atobe were engaged in a game of chess, with Tezuka using his right hand since his left was still injured. Sanada and Yukimura were helping Yuina open some of the Christmas presents, since the baby was still too young to do so, while Inui and Yanagi finished the rest of the drinks and cookies, and they had to guess the ingredients of each other's inventions.

Who knew how it had started, but somehow or rather, talks of Yuina's future popped up. It was a harmless question started by Yukimura, actually, who meant no harm.

"Inui, Renji. Which school might the two of you be sending your daughter to in the future?" The blue haired beauty asked even as he bounced the 9 months old baby in his arms.

Before either of Yuina's parents could reply, Sanada had spoken up first. "Rikkai Dai. She's definitely going there."

"Seishun Gakuen. Inui's from Seigaku after all." Tezuka spoke up immediately.

Sanada frowned. "Yanagi's from Rikkai Dai."

"Inui's from Seigaku, and he's her father." Tezuka insisted.

"Yanagi's her father too." Sanada's frown turned down even more.

"No, he's her mother." Tezuka stated bluntly.

"How would that affect his rights to have a say as to which school he wants his daughter to go to in the future?"

The two wooden blocks ended up bickering over it. Atobe gave a sigh. "After seeing the nonsense cooked up by both of you peasants, I'm sure she wouldn't want to go to either of your schools. She will be going to Hyotei Gakuen instead. Right, Inui?" Thanks to that statement, the diva too was dragged into the three sided battle.

Inui took out his notebook and began scribbling in it, while Yanagi kept his arms folded. "Interesting. They've asked us for our decision on Yuina's future, but neither of us seems to have a real say in it." Yanagi spoke up first.

"I guess this is the problem with having an inter-school baby." Inui chuckled.

All three of them stopped their argument, and they turned to Inui as one. "Saa, Inui! Which school will she be going to? Seigaku, Rikkai or Hyotei?" They demanded at the same time.

Inui closed his notebook. "Higa Chuu." He replied without batting an eyelid, and even if he did, those three were unlikely to see it anyway.

The expressions on their faces were priceless…or at least the expression on Atobe's face was priceless. The other two swooned slightly, but remained expressionless. Yukimura chuckled. "My…those three actually believed you. Gen…you're so silly sometimes." He smiled at Sanada.

Yuina hugged her new bunny plushie (a joint present from her parents) and giggled, finding their bickering funny even though she didn't understand a word of it. She glanced over at where her parents were seated and waved her hands, dropping the plushie as she did so. Upset that she dropped her toy, the baby looked like she was going to cry any moment, though Yanagi was next to her in an instant, picking up the toy and handing it back to her.

"Pa!" She called out happily. Yanagi smiled at her, patting her on the head before letting Yukimura continue to hold her. Nearby, the two captains and one vice-captain had Inui cornered; trying to make it clear just which school he was sending Yuina to.

Inui managed to worm himself away, heading over to Yukimura and Yanagi. At seeing him, Yuina cooed with delight. "Otou-otou!" She chirped.

Inui took his baby daughter from Yukimura, cradling her in his arms. "Whichever school she's going to, I'll leave that to her choice." He finally stated.

The other three eventually consented to that decision. Yanagi came over, patting Inui on the shoulder. "That's very grown up of you to think that way." He complimented.

Inui nodded. "Mm…in fact…I'll be preparing her for Seigaku."

Yanagi snorted. "I withdraw my previous statement. If you're truly mature, you're going to send her to Rikkai Dai."

XXXXXXXXX

By 10PM, the others left for home, and the two data master too went to put their daughter to bed. Yuina blinked sleepily up at her parents, hugging on to her bunny plushie. "Otou-otou…" She murmured tiredly as Inui tucked her into her cot. After Yanagi gave her a pacifier, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The two remained there a while, watching their daughter sleep. Inui wrapped one arm around Yanagi's waist, drawing him closer.

"You know, Renji." Inui began, and his boyfriend turned around slightly to look at him. "All those talk about Yuina's future just now had me thinking…about Yuina's future…and our future."

Yanagi nodded. "What about it?"

Inui tightened his hold around his boyfriend. "What would it be like for us in the future? 10 years from now, are you still willing to remain with me? I would like to think that we would always remain like this, with just practice, and school, and taking care of Yuina together, but I understand that we both have our personal lives to attend to and if it wasn't because of the current circumstances…" He was silenced by Yanagi's finger to his lips.

"Sadaharu…you can be quite insecure sometimes." He chuckled, hugging Inui lightly. "We're in this together. Besides…" His eyes opened slightly. "I was already yours when I saw how you'd cry for me should anything happen to me."

Inui's face flushed lightly. Yanagi smiled at him. "Well, and what about our daughter's future?"

Inui loved it every time Yanagi said "our daughter". Yanagi seemed to be taking the initiative to constantly reassure him that they would always remain a family. "As for Yuina…our baby girl is going to grow up someday…" Inui began.

Yanagi cocked his head to one side. "Isn't that of course?"

"Mm…she'll grow up to become a beautiful little girl, and we wouldn't be able to keep her a secret anymore. In fact, she doesn't deserve to be kept a secret." Inui rested his head on Yanagi's shoulder. "All these might have started out as an accident, but when I said I would be taking responsibility, I intend to make sure I do so properly. Currently, we're trying the best we can to adapt to our new responsibilities, and we have Atobe helping us financially, but it wouldn't be right for us to depend on him all the time. Most of the efforts must come from us."

Inui paused a while. "We're both still very much dependent on our families…and I think that for us…the first step might be to inform our families about…our daughter."

Yanagi shuddered very visibly at that. It was obvious that he too, like Inui, was trying to delay the inevitable, to escape reality. "That's true…"

Inui rubbed his shoulders lightly to calm him. "I'll talk to your parents, to explain about Yuina…and to get their consent…for us."

Yanagi stared at him for a while. After a few moments, the brunette gave a sigh, shaking his head. "As reckless as always. It's a no wonder you can't beat me at data yet."

"Mm…there is a 95 percent chance your parents are going to kill me, but I'm willing to take that risk. No matter what, our parents are our parents, so they would be the ones to help us through this too. I can roughly understand that feeling now." Inui threw a glance briefly in Yuina's direction. He held Yanagi's hand. "Also, I will be enrolling into Rikkai Dai's senior high level next year. However, before I do any of the above mentioned, there is something I'll need your consent on." He looked his boyfriend in the eyes. "Renji, will you be my doubles partner, be it in life or on the courts, forever?"

At long last, Yanagi did not run away, as he smiled, giving Inui's hand a squeeze.

"Of course, Sadaharu."

XXXXXXXXX

Omake

**8 years later**

"Inui-chan, is it all right if I walk with you to school?"

Inui Yuina looked up from her notebook, spotting a rather shy looking boy fidgeting before her. She added another note to the page and closed the book. "I don't mind." She said finally, tucking her book into her bag. After adjusting the ribbons holding up her shoulder length hair into a ponytail, she walked alongside the boy, who was blushing slightly.

"A-anou…I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was in the same class with you last year, and my name is…" The boy began.

"Senrou Akira, was what you wanted to say right?" She smiled slightly at the boy, who nodded meekly. "8 years old, born May 1st, bloodtype O, and you were seated two seats behind mine. You had a habit of twirling your pencil counter clockwise whenever you got bored of the teacher's speeches, and you tend to tilt your head to your right at a 75 degrees angle when there is something you do not understand." She said smoothly to the boy, whose jaw was now hanging open slightly. "Don't worry. I don't forget people's data as long as I have them."

"Aa…is that so?" The boy resumed his pace beside her. "I'm surprised that you've noticed me though, since my seat is behind yours. Inui-chan…I'd…very much like to be your friend." He blushed as he said it.

Yuina glanced over at him briefly. "…I don't mind…"

The boy brightened up immediately. "Really?" He sounded like Christmas came early.

Yuina nodded briefly. "Hai. You might want to quicken your pace though. There is a 97 percent chance _he_ would be coming after you in a while."

The boy blinked. "Eh?"

XXX

Meanwhile, hidden behind a lamp pole, a certain black haired, bespectacled man was watching the two closely. His nails raked across the metal pole (which could hardly hide his tall form) as he resisted the urge to lunge forward and choke the boy walking alongside the brunette girl. No one was allowed to get near her…no…scratch that. No male, aside from himself and his significant other, was allowed to go near her.

A hand landed on his shoulder. He didn't jump, having already calculated the possibility of that happening. This was followed on by an amused sigh.

"Sadaharu…just what do you think you're doing?" Yanagi asked with his arms crossed before him.

Inui's glasses glinted as he continued to cause scratch marks on the poor, innocent pole. "Watching over the safety of our precious daughter, of course. I want to know who that brat is, which family he's from, where he lives, what are his grades and what are his intentions for befriending Yuina…oh yes…I'm going to collect all the data on him to make sure he's eligible to come anywhere near our Yuina."

Yanagi shook his head. "Honestly. You're so overprotective sometimes, and our Yuina doesn't like that, if you remember. She's only 8. What could possibly happen?"

Inui took his eyes off those two as he turned to Yanagi instead. "Do you remember what you were like when you were 8?"

Yanagi thought about it, gave a cough and folded his arms again. "Fine. Point taken. Still…you don't have to be that worried every time a boy approaches her."

Inui smirked. "Oh? And you're not worried? Why are you here too then?"

"To keep an eye on you and make sure you behave yourself, of course." Yanagi stated as -a-matter-of-factly. "At this rate, she's not going to get married."

Inui growled at the idea of his little girl being stolen from him by some random guy. "If there are any guys trying to court my Yuina, he'd have to get my permission first. Of course, he'd also have to try out at least three of my inventions first…ufufufu…"

Yanagi sighed. "I'll rephrase that. She's not going to even get a boyfriend at this rate."

Just then, the boy reached out and held Yuina's hand. Immediately Inui tried to lunge forward with a snarl, but Yanagi kept a firm hold on him, keeping him in place. "That brat…how dare he…the nerve!" Inui continued to rage.

"They're already at the school gates, Sadaharu. You too should be going to work now or your boss will be angry." Yanagi insisted, dragging him away.

"After the experience with your parents, I don't think an angry Atobe will scare me now. Our daughter is my main priority." Inui frowned, mellowing a little now that his daughter was in school. "She's too attractive for her own good…well…I suppose she can't really help it though, since she has inherited your features."

It was a good thing Inui was looking in the direction of the school gates, or he would have seen the slight flush spreading across Yanagi's face. "You say that like it's my fault, but whose emerald eyes has she inherited? All she has to do is to open those eyes of hers and she'd have all the guys smitten."

"Not all the males get smitten over my eyes, Renji. Only you." Inui grinned, causing Yanagi to flush some more.

"Sadaharu!" Yanagi scolded. Inui decided not to tease him anymore, obediently allowing the brunette to steer him off in the direction of work.

Yanagi struck a conversation as they walked. "Really, Inui. You have such a daughter complex that you're only going to scare Yuina away at this rate. I wonder if you'd be less overprotective if Yuina hadn't been an only child."

Inui pondered over that a while. "That might be possible, but I don't think we can change that fact anytime soon. We've been trying a few times the normal way, but the chances of a second child are next to nil."

Yanagi's face sighed. "It's because I'm _normal_ that I can't get pregnant that way, Sadaharu." He reached out and took Inui's hand. "It's not like we're all out of options just yet. After all, I still remember the ingredients for that concoction of yours. Only if you're really ready for a second child though. What do you think, Sadaharu?"

Inui's glasses glinted in reply.

**The End**

That's the last chapter for Data Tales. Thank you all for reading. I do hope you've enjoyed the story and if there are any mistakes I've made, I apologize and please help to point them out so that I can correct it. Please note that I wouldn't be able to reply to anonymous reviews after this chapter.

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


	19. Extra Chapter: Ten Years Later

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen**

A/N: To be honest, I wanted to post this specially in livejournal only. I can't resist the temptation to put it in ffnet too. :p

To the story then…

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Extra Chapter

It was one of the usual days in the Inui household. As usual, Sadaharu would most likely be inventing something, Yuina would either be doing her revisions or tallying her data, and the youngest in the family, 2-year-old Satoru, would be taking his nap.

Yanagi Renji – technically Inui Renji for the past 5 years now but he retained his surname to avoid confusion amongst his friends – hummed contentedly as he stirred a pot of mushroom soup, making a mental note to boil the rice for lunch too. He had taken a liking to creating new dishes, just as Inui created new juices. This was motivated by the incident a few years ago, when Inui nearly poisoned his daughter with one of his juices. Ever since then, Yanagi would not let Inui anywhere near the kitchen.

Yanagi took a spoon to check the taste of the soup, and once he was satisfied, he stirred it a while longer before switching off the fire. Reaching out, he made to lift the pot off the stove.

"Iyaaaa!" A scream rang through the house, startling him and nearly causing him to overturn the whole pot. Calming himself, he set the pot on the table safely and went out of the kitchen to take a look.

He was greeted with the sight of his daughter and Sadaharu running around the dining table. The latter had a glass of multi-coloured juice held in his hand.

"I don't want to drink that!" Yuina insisted stubbornly, running for dear life.

"It's for your own good, princess. It will make your skin soft, your hair silky and it will keep you healthy too. I've improved the taste, so it's really delicious now." Inui coaxed.

"I'd rather get sick then." Yuina yelled back at him. She spotted Yanagi and made a beeline towards him. "Daddy! Otou-san's trying to make me drink that." She whined tearfully.

An equally puppy looking Inui came over to him too. "Renji, Yuina's not taking her health supplements." He too clung to Yanagi's shirt like a little five-year-old brat.

"But I don't want to." Yuina whined again, hiding behind Yanagi.

Yanagi chuckled. "Even if you do, I won't let you drink that." He turned to Inui sternly. "She's not going to drink any of your drinks. Ever. Or have you forgotten how you have managed to knock her out for a whole day with your Inui's Special Rainbow Juice Deluxe?" He shuddered at the memory. Their relationship had been strained temporarily as Yanagi wasn't able to forgive Inui for causing such a scare. He thought he had lost his baby for good, and was beside himself with relief when she opened her eyes the next day.

Inui looked guilty. "I only want what's the best for her." He muttered sadly.

Yanagi sighed, taking the drink and finishing it in a few gulps. He licked his lips for a moment, savouring the taste. "Bean sprouts, onions, mushroom, pumpkin, spinach,...and celery...pretty interesting, Sadaharu."

"I still don't understand how you can stand that, daddy." Yuina mumbled, turning green.

Yanagi patted her on the head affectionately. "I happen to be one of the rare ones who could. Go along then."

While Inui wasn't happy that his daughter wouldn't take the drink, he was nevertheless happy that at least Yanagi liked it, as usual. Aside from the drink which gave them Yuina and Satoru, Yanagi had been able to guess the ingredients in all of Inui's other creations. It was a challenge in life to him, to create a drink his spouse would not be able to identify, and he gladly accepted the challenge.

Inui rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "You're just as scary as always, Renji. Ah well. I'm sure I'll be able to beat you someday. It's only a matter of time."

"You say that every year, Sadaharu." Yanagi pointed out. Seeing Inui's puppy look, he gave a chuckle and wrapped his arms around the taller man, hugging him. "You're such a child."

"Renji..." Inui leaned over, and Yanagi allowed his eyes to slide close. However, they both froze when they heard the sounds of crying.

"Satoru's awake. I guess the commotion you created just now must have startled him." Yanagi smirked, stepping away from Inui, much to the bespectacled man's disappointment.

"It would seem so. I'll tend to him." Inui said before walking off in the direction of their son's room. Yanagi went back to dealing with lunch, and after some time, he came out again to see both Inui and Satoru sitting on the floor of the living room with some building blocks.

He smiled inwardly at seeing the two start a game of building a fortress, with Inui calculating angles and the number of blocks he would need, and Satoru repeating most of what he said without really understanding anything. Inui was an excellent father, Yanagi thought with a twinge of pride. During their schooldays, when they had to take care of Yuina, Inui tried his best to adapt to the situation, since it wasn't easy taking care of a young child when one was still attending school. He had grown a lot since that time, from a teenager tentatively entering fatherhood, he grew to become such a natural parent that everything and anything he did, he thought of his family's interest first.

After both of them left high school, Inui finally talked to their parents, revealing the secret. Yanagi would rather not remember some of the reactions they received, namely from his mom and Inui's dad, but after seeing how serious Inui was with his responsibility, both sides relented and allowed them to be together, especially since Inui declared that he would marry Yanagi when they both reached 18. They were allowed to be together...terms and conditions applied, of course.

Inui leaned over and spoke softly to Satoru, and the toddler gave a happy little laugh and launched himself at Inui, hugging him. Yanagi chuckled, nearly seeing the little invisible hearts floating around Inui's head.

Inui picked up their son, walking over to Yanagi, who gestured to the table. "Lunch is ready, but the two of you looked like you were enjoying yourself so much that I didn't want to interrupt."

"You should have joined us then, Renji. Ne, Satoru?" Inui asked.

"Ne!" Satoru giggled. He reached out for Yanagi, and Inui passed the toddler over to his spouse.

"I'll call Yuina down for lunch." Inui informed him before heading off again. Not too long later, the two of them were seen heading down the stairs. Yuina came over and looked at the table.

"Do you need me to help set the table, daddy?" She asked.

"Mm. You don't have to. I've put the dishes here already. Let's eat." Yanagi responded to her question.

Yuina nodded and joined her parents at the table. There was a chorus of "itadakimasu!" and all of them started eating. Inui struck a conversation with their daughter regarding schoolwork and data, while Yanagi fed their son. Satoru was actually able to eat on his own, but for some reason he still wanted Yanagi to feed him, and would throw a fuss if he didn't. Yanagi sighed as the playful toddler began throwing his beans to the floor. He would have to teach his son to not be choosy with his food.

"Sadaharu, you do remember that we're supposed to head over to my parents later?" Yanagi asked, turning to Inui slightly.

Inui gave a soft groan. "How could I forget?" One of the conditions Yanagi's side of the family gave was that Inui should bring Yanagi over for a visit at least 10 times in a month. They were determined to make sure their son was well taken care of by the former Seigaku data master. Inui felt like a stranger every time he went there, and therefore, came to dread these visits.

Yanagi must have noticed his expression, for he reached out and poked Inui in the face. "What's with that look, Sadaharu? You're still afraid of going over? They've already accepted you."

"They've accepted our children. I'm still pretty much a stranger to them." Inui muttered, shuddering as he thought of his mother-in-law. Shouldn't it be daughter-in-laws, not son-in-laws, who feared mother-in-laws?

Yanagi patted his arm soothingly. "My otou-san likes you. Okaa-san is just...very traditional."

That was an understatement. Inui's mother-in-law downright hated him, and she made that pretty obvious. Then again, Inui had stolen her precious son away from her after all. Inui mused that he might possibly also want to kill those who would steal his precious children away from him in the future, and could sympathise with her at least in that sense.

He shuddered some more when he remembered the time they went over to inform his parents that Yanagi was pregnant again. While Yanagi's father seemed delighted at the thought of another grandchild, Yanagi's mother had exploded on the spot. "Isn't once enough for you? How dare you get my son pregnant again? My son isn't supposed to be pregnant!" to which his father-in-law had to pacify her before she could kill Inui and turned Yanagi into a widower (widow?). From that moment onwards, Inui kept that Inui Juice far, far away from his spouse. He was happy with just two children.

Yanagi had finally finished the task of feeding Satoru, and started on his own food instead. Inui raised an eyebrow at seeing the pile on Yanagi's plate.

"You're that hungry?" He asked.

Yanagi smiled at him. "I just happen to have an appetite. We're going to see my parents later after all."

Inui shook his head lightly. Only Yanagi would have an appetite for that. Inui lost his at the very thought of it.

Once they have finished lunch, both Inui and Yuina dealt with the dishes. Yanagi went to pack for their stay, and Satoru went back to playing with his building blocks.

As Yanagi folded the clothes, his mind wandered to what had happened three years back. There really was nothing short of a mini explosion when he had Satoru, and he remembered his mother yelling at Inui, claiming that he had seduced her son and got him pregnant, forcing him into motherhood again. He sighed, wishing that she would understand that it wasn't forced. Both of them really did want a child, and he drank that juice with both their consent.

He finished his packing and sat on the bed, resting a hand on his stomach lightly. "Gomen, Sadaharu. You might have to go through that again today." He muttered softly.

"Renji?" Inui poked his head into the room, and Yanagi straightened up immediately. "There you are. Have you finished packing yet? Satoru wants you to colour with us."

"Aa. I'll be down in a while, Sadaharu." He promised. Giving another sigh, he headed downstairs.

XXXXXXXXX

"Renji! How nice to see you home. You too, Sadaharu." Yanagi's father greeted them warmly as they entered.

As the older man greeted their children, Yanagi's mother appeared at the doorway and smiled at her son. "Renji, you look well." She then proceeded to shoot Inui with a look of dislike. "Inui-san." She nodded stiffly. After fussing over her son a while, she overlooked Inui and went to fuss over her grandchildren instead.

Inui couldn't help feeling a twinge of hurt, though it was dispelled when Yanagi took his hand and squeezed lightly.

"Let's go in, Sadaharu." He said softly.

XXX

Yanagi Katashi, Renji's father, watched as the pair entered the house. He mused to himself that this Inui was no longer the meek boy who came to their house, begging for forgiveness for impregnating their son. (That sentence still gave him the chills, truth be told)

He could still remember that time, the shock he felt when Renji brought this boy and a toddler into their home, explaining that this was his boyfriend, and both of them revealed the secret they have been keeping for three years. However they did that was beyond him, but he could still remember how Inui had bowed and begged for their forgiveness. The little girl in Renji's arms had her eyes half closed, just like Renji, though her eyes opened to reveal frightened green orbs as she stared down at Inui, wondering why he was apologizing so desperately.

Inui had been so young, just a boy in his late teens, just like his son Renji. He was definitely not mature enough to cope with the growing emotional needs of a child, but both of them did seem to have done a good job with raising their daughter. His granddaughter was a beautiful little girl, and it unnerved him that he was so oblivious to his promotion to a grandparent, until then.

That Inui boy had been very honest with him and his wife, explaining the circumstances which led to his granddaughter, Yuina's birth. The boy spoke like a data master, and Katashi could see how his son got attracted to this boy. Inui went into details without making it too explicit, as Katashi doubted his wife would be able to handle it otherwise. He was still glad that his parents were away on a holiday in Hokkaido when that had happened. They'd faint from shock if they knew they were great-grandparents now...to their grandson's daughter, which he had borne.

Katashi had to give Inui credit for his sense of responsibility though, and his honesty. It was an accident, two boys conceiving a child through extraordinary means. As much as he would like to scold both of them for having a child at such a young age, it wasn't entirely their fault...well...it was Inui's fault for making nonsense like that, but at least the boy hadn't left his son to deal with all that on his own. This was something out of their control.

Katashi would have preferred his son to have chosen a girl as a partner, but he respected Renji's choice all the same. Besides, Inui was the little girl's father, and it wouldn't be fair to separate them. His wife wasn't so forgiving though, and she made that obvious, storming over to where Inui was kneeling on the floor and raging at him. The little girl gave a frightened whimper, clinging on to Renji tightly while watching her grandmother with frightened eyes.

Renji's sister Ran had been standing at a corner of the room, watching all these quietly without offering support to either side so as to prevent herself from getting the end of her mother's wrath too. Renji passed Yuina over to her, requesting for her to take his daughter to the back so that she wouldn't be dragged into this storm. Once the little girl was taken away, Yanagi Moriko, Renji's mother continued to scream at Inui mercilessly.

Katashi could not really hold it against his wife for being so angry. She was always the most traditional one in the family, and while he could not really consider himself open minded, she was 10 times worse. His wife wailed that Renji was seeing a guy, being a 'mother' to his child. How was he going to marry a girl at this rate?

He could still remember his horror, laced with a mild hint of amusement, when that Inui boy spoke up finally, having kept quiet when Moriko ranted. "I will marry him." He spoke firmly.

Moriko looked like she had swallowed something extremely bitter, while Renji's eyes flew open, probably surprised by his boyfriend's boldness. Even as his wife flew into another fit of rage - something about her son who was supposed to get himself a wife and not make himself one - Katashi looked at both of them solemnly.

"How are you going to support both Renji and your daughter? Do you have the finances to do so? Can you make my son happy?" He asked quietly.

Inui nodded slightly in answer to his question. "I admit that I am still heavily dependent on my allowance, but I have been working part time and saving up for Renji and Yuina. I have not touched the money at all. It will be theirs. As for whether I can make them happy, I can only answer this. They're the people dearest to me. I cannot promise if I will be able to make them happy, for I cannot predict the future, but I will do my best to keep them happy. I promise."

Katashi sighed, wondering how he should handle the situation. He next turned to his son. "Renji. You're young, and this could be something you would regret in the future. Still, are you sure you would want to bind yourself to this guy?"

Renji took Inui's hand, holding on tight as he turned to his father. "I cannot predict the future either. No amount of data will help me with that, but I want to be with him."

Katashi had not given his reply then and there, and it was after Inui had revealed it to his parents too, and the Yanagi and Inui household had a talk to decide on what to do best. It was a good thing all these had gone quite smoothly, despite the brief shouting match between his wife and Inui's father, who could give her traditionalism a run for its money.

Both sides decided that since Inui had taken responsibility over this, they were allowed to be together. After setting some ground rules, both sides mentioned that the two would still remain under their parents' care, at least until they got married when they both reach adulthood, as Inui had promised.

Katashi smiled inwardly as he watched his son shed happy tears over their decision, hugging Inui and Yuina tight as he sniffled slightly. At that time, he had wondered if he had gone soft and made a possibly bad decision in allowing them to be together, but now, so many years since that had happened, he did not doubt that his son was happy with his choice of a partner.

XXX

Time passed so fast. Inui continued to live with Renji and Yuina, an arrangement made long ago between the two data masters, and one which seemed to bring no inconvenience to any of them. Both Inui's family and Yanagi's family dropped by frequently to check on how they were doing, and from the looks of it, Inui was fulfilling his responsibilities well.

Inui went to the same high school as Renji, and they spent a lot of time together. When they graduated, a rich friend of theirs (apparently the one who gave them the most aid financially and allowed their secret to remain hidden for so long) hired both of them and made them work in his company.

As per the agreement, they were married when they reached adulthood. It was a simple, Shinto ceremony witnessed only by close family. Yanagi registered himself under Inui's household and took his surname (Renji himself requested for the arrangement, much to Moriko's dismay), and continued to live under the same roof as his spouse ever since.

Inui's father did not recognize their marriage, since it wasn't something on black and white. Who would have thought their rich friend then sent them on a business trip in the U.S., and they registered their marriage in New York (where one of the professional tennis players, an Echizen-san who happened to be a friend of theirs too, stood as their witness)

For better or worse, they were joined in matrimony. Katashi could only wish his son and granddaughter the best.

XXX

"Jii-san!" A happy voice made him snap out of his musings to see his grandson holding out his arms to him, wanting to be picked up. He lifted the boy up high, making the toddler giggle happily.

To think that he would have another grandchild just three years after those two had married, and two years had passed since then. He was pretty certain it was no accident this time. While his wife had renewed her grudge against Inui because of that, she did learn to accept her new grandson pretty fast.

Yuina sat quietly next to her parents, being more subdued than her baby brother. Katashi guessed that his granddaughter was still afraid of her grandmother because of what had happened. He hoped she would grow out of it though. His wife liked her, but was just bad at expressing it.

An hour passed. They have been sitting in the living room, chatting for a while now...or at least, Katashi had been striking a conversation with Renji and Inui. His wife only spoke to Renji, but treated Inui like air.

Just as Inui poured Renji another cup of tea, Renji cleared his throat, sitting up straighter once his parents and his husband's attention were on him.

"Otou-san, okaa-san. I would like to announce something." He twiddled his fingers briefly, and Inui's mind started making calculations on what he could be telling them. The last time Renji twiddled his fingers this fast, and looked this uneasy had been...it can't be...

Renji took a deep breath, exhaled and looked at them once more. "I'm pregnant again."

There was a pause after the statement. Moriko dropped the biscuit she was holding as her mouth fell open, Inui looked like he had calculated that possibility, but choked on his tea all the same, and Katashi raised an eyebrow. Judging from Inui's response, the poor guy was not informed either.

"R-Renji? But...how...when...?" Apparently the poor guy was at a lost for words too,

Renji patted his arm gently. "You left two bottles of that juice in the fridge two months back, didn't you? I borrowed one."

Inui's glasses slipped slightly from his nose, revealing wide green eyes. He pushed them back up before sitting up straighter. "Those two bottles...were as presents to the Tezuka household and the Sanada household, now that those two are married. I thought I had missed out one and went to remake it. So it was you who have taken it..." His words were cut off when his mother-in-law brandished the newspaper, which she had rolled up so that it was now shaped like a baton, in his face

"Was twice not enough for you? How many times must you put my son in this situation before you're happy?" She demanded, only to be restrained by her husband.

"Maa...isn't this supposed to be a happy occasion? They're married after all, and they're fully consenting adults, so it should be fine if they decide to have another child." Katashi said in a placating manner.

Inui's jaw was still unhinged. Renji sighed, reaching out to close Inui's jaw for him. Inui always had a look of shock whenever he found out his spouse was pregnant, be it when it was Yuina or Satoru. Even now, it still hadn't changed. He turned to his daughter, who was watching the adults, looking like she wished to be anywhere else but here at that moment. "Yuina, will you please take your brother to the back? I believe your aunt would have some treats in the kitchen."

Yuina obeyed instantly, excusing herself before taking her brother by the arm and promptly fleeing from the room.

With his children away from the war zone, Renji turned back to other three. His mom was, not surprisingly, hurling accuses at Inui who, as usual, did not retaliate. Renji slipped his hand into Inui's, giving a squeeze before turning to his mother.

"Okaa-san. Sadaharu most certainly hadn't 'forced himself on me and impregnated me against my own will.' This round, he doesn't even know I'm pregnant until I've revealed it moments ago. If you have to blame someone, then please blame me for drinking that juice without Sadaharu's knowledge."

"Renji..." His mother looked horrified.

The brunette data master gave a slight bow. "I've made this decision on my own. That's why...please stop bullying my husband."

"D-dear, you don't have to use a baby to prove that." Inui finally spoke up. The dazed look hadn't completely left his face though.

Renji didn't say anything. He rested a hand on his stomach and remained silent. His mother seemed to take that as a sign of guilt, and deflated immediately.

"Renji...what were you thinking?" She asked weakly.

Katashi cleared his throat, effectively getting their attention. "Well then, I think it's best if these two unpacked their things in the guest room." He cast a glance at Inui. The black-haired, bespectacled man looked like he was having a hard time accepting this news, and Katashi presumed that he would want to have a talk with Renji. It was best to leave those two alone for now.

Renji seemed to think so too, for he took Inui's hand and led him off the couch, though when he bent to pick up their luggage, Inui beat him to it and carried the whole pile, bringing it to the guestroom wordlessly. Renji threw the other man an unreadable gaze before following him.

XXX

Inui didn't say a thing even as he unpacked their clothes. Yanagi sat on the bed, watching his husband quietly as he tried to calculate Inui's possible moods.

Inui had a family-complex, so while Yanagi was confident that any new child would be accepted graciously by his husband, he couldn't help feeling that he might have gone overboard with his planning this time. He really wanted to find a way to get his mother to stop chewing Inui's head off every time he saw him, and when he spotted the juice in the fridge, he couldn't help jumping at the chance. He might have really taken advantage of Inui's kindness this time though.

After a while, he got off the bed and tentatively went over to Inui's side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you angry, Sadaharu?"

Inui shot up so fast that Yanagi hadn't calculated that, and his eyes flew open as Inui grabbed his shoulders.

"Angry? Of course I'm angry!" Inui spoke in a quiet, yet slightly dangerous voice which caused Yanagi to shiver slightly. "How could you keep this from me...?"

Yanagi braced himself. If his data was correct...

"Do you have any idea how cold it was out there? It's winter, and I would have bundled you with coats and blankets if I had known you're pregnant. Oh kami...I can't believe I made you carry all those luggage to the car. There's a 99.9 percent chance that won't be good for the baby..." As Inui continued to mutter possibilities, Yanagi sighed. It was just as he calculated.

Inui finally stopped fussing and led Yanagi over to the bed, making him sit down before dropping next to him. He stared down at Yanagi's stomach. "I made that drink over two months ago. So how many weeks..."

"10 weeks." Yanagi replied his unfinished question. He rested his hand on his stomach. "I used a home pregnancy kit to confirm."

"I see." Inui gave a sigh, running his hands though his hair. "I have to agree with your mother though. What were you thinking? Did you drink that just to prove a point today?"

"Do you think so little of me?" Yanagi asked quietly, looking a little hurt. He had actually entertained the idea of having another child even when he had Satoru, and especially after seeing the kind of father Inui was to their children, Yanagi wanted to have more, preferably while he was young. Even with Inui's invention, he doubted his male body could carry the child to term when he got older. When he saw the juice in the fridge, the gears in his mind were already working, and before he knew it, he had drunk the concoction.

Inui stiffened. He wrapped one arm around Yanagi's shoulders, pulling him close. "My apologies, Renji. I was not thinking clearly when I said that." He looked down at Yanagi's still flat stomach. "So how did you get my DNA to add to the drink?"

"I pricked you when you were asleep." Yanagi replied smoothly, not batting an eyelid. Inui had to hand it to his spouse to think of ways like that to execute his plans.

The bespectacled man slid off the bed, kneeling before Yanagi instead as he wrapped his hands around the other man's midsection, pressing his cheek to Yanagi stomach. "Hello there, little one. Your daddy and I can be very silly sometimes, but we look forward to having you in the family." He muttered so softly that Yanagi had to strain his ears to hear it.

The brunette chuckled. "You never change, Sadaharu." He patted the head of black hair as he spoke. "Shall we break the news more clearly to the children then? I believe they must be wondering where we are."

XXX

"Baby?" Satoru asked, his innocent green eyes wide.

Yanagi tapped him on the nose. "Yes. Your otou-san and I are going to have another baby. You're going to have a little brother or sister to play with soon."

"Yay!" The toddler cheered, waving his arms in the air happily.

Inui scooped up his son. "That's why, don't jump onto your daddy's lap for now, at least until the baby arrives. Can you do that?"

His son nodded enthusiastically. Yuina gazed at Yanagi's stomach. "So daddy's going to become big again?" She asked, scribbling into her notebook as she did so.

Yanagi smiled weakly. "I would prefer it if you don't say the word big, but yes. You might be walking on the same path someday, Yuina."

"Not if I can help it." Inui muttered darkly. He'd personally poison any guy who dared to come near his precious daughter.

"Sadaharu!" Yanagi chided.

They were called to dinner, and Inui's eyes widened slightly at the amount of food on the table…actually…that was still tolerable, but what made him blink was that more than half of the dishes on the table consisted of chicken. There was ginger chicken, ginseng chicken, steamed chicken, stewed chicken, chicken broth, and a bottle of chicken essence.

Yuina's eyes opened, and Inui could literally see the shine in her emerald gaze as she studied the dishes hungrily. Chicken was her favourite food after all. She then turned her gaze to Inui. "Otou-san."

"Yes, princess?" He responded immediately.

Her lips pulled into the sweetest grin he had ever seen, and according to his data, this was the look she'd give him when she had a favour to ask.

"May I drink the juice too and have a baby like daddy? That way I get to eat chicken every day." She sounded delighted, not in the least bit disturbed even when her father and her grandmother sprayed tea all over the table.

"Definitely not!" Both of them gasped at the same time.

"Why not?" Yuina pouted. Adults were so mean sometimes.

Inui struggled with phrasing a reply for her, while Moriko's jaw remained unhinged. Katashi raised an eyebrow, wondering what Inui would do to tackle this, while Yanagi gave a soft cough, hiding his laughter. Satoru didn't pay any attention to them, as he was too busy playing with his food.

"Well…this drink tastes even better than my Inui's Special Pickle Juice, of course, and you never seemed to like drinking any of my delicious creations." Inui spoke calmly.

Yuina turned a little blue. "Point taken." Every time her father said he had something which tasted better than something else, he usually meant it in the opposite, or so she thought anyway.

Inui turned to heap some food on Yanagi's plate, and his spouse raised an eyebrow at him, but relented and ate it all the same.

Inui smiled at seeing his spouse enjoy his food. "I'm surprised that there were no signs, no indication at all that you're pregnant. You even managed to identify the components of my drink this morning."

It was a good thing Inui kept his voice lowered. His mother-in-law would have killed him for that. Yanagi placed a hand on his stomach lightly. "Mm yes. There wasn't any morning sickness this time, and I didn't have much cravings…except for chili ice cream." He smiled at Inui. "Maybe my body has gotten used to this?"

"There is a 68 percent chance of that. This is your third pregnancy after all." He reached out to touch his spouse's stomach lightly. "We'll have a proper celebration for the little one when we go home tomorrow. Just the two of us." He promised, glasses glinting.

Yanagi's face flushed a little. "I look forward to that, Sadaharu."

XXXXXXXXX

Months later

"Inui Sadaharu! Get out of here! Now!" Yanagi roared, and moments later, Inui fled out of the room, with a couple of pillows being thrown at him.

"Otou-san? What's wrong?" Yuina asked curiously. She happened to be taking the tonics for her daddy, as her father had instructed when she came upon this scene.

Inui saw her, put on a smile and walked over. "Nothing is wrong, princess. Your daddy's just having some mood swings, that's all."

"Oh." She stated understandingly. "The guests are all in the living room." She informed him before heading into the room to give Yanagi the tonic.

Inui went to freshen up a bit before heading to the living room. Surely enough, the ones invited were already there. Sanada and Tezuka were the only ones carrying somber expressions, looking like they were attending a funeral instead of a birthday party. Yukimura was smiling, and Echizen had Satoru on his lap (The baby had climbed there himself). Inui's "ore-sama" employer didn't want to come to this 'commoners' party, but he had sent a limo-ful of gifts for the occasion.

Echizen was let in on the secret a few years after he dated Tezuka, and initially he stared at Inui's daughter in wonder, not believing that his senpai was already a parent (and that the girl's mother was a guy). He had gotten used to the idea though, and now looked as if it were perfectly normal for guys to get pregnant in their teens.

"Where's Yanagi?" Sanada asked sternly.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "He has fallen ill, and I'm putting him on bed rest. He's also having mood swings."

"Mood swings?" Yukimura repeated lightly. The last time Inui cited that when Yanagi was pregnant with Satoru…

Yukimura stood, walking swiftly over to the Inui couple's room despite Inui's protests. He opened the door to the room…and blinked.

Yanagi was on a bed, which had somehow been transformed into some kind of a nest of pillows and blankets. There were several layers of blanket wrapped around the brunette too, making him look slightly mummified. If anything, Yukimura thought the poor guy was looking disgruntled.

"What happened, Renji?" Yukimura asked, fighting down a traitorous laugh.

Yanagi might have been able to sense his amusement though, for he gave a dead stare.

"I sneezed."

Inui rushed into the room at that moment, heading straight to Yanagi's side. "Are you warm? Do you need more blankets? I would love to warm you with my body, but it would be very rude to leave the guests alone in the living room." Yanagi's glare seemed to have no effect on him, even as he continued to smoothen the blankets. "Yosh. According to my calculations, this should keep you perfectly warm."

Yanagi gave him another withering stare. "Your data's malfunctioned! I am pregnant. NOT dying! What do you think you're taking me for?" As Inui continued to arrange the pillows, Yanagi gave a growl and swatted his hand away. He loved Inui, but at times like these, he just wanted to strangle the black-haired man for his infuriating devotion to him. Inui gave a soft whine, almost like a wounded puppy, and for a brief moment, Yanagi became a little soft-hearted. He hardened his heart again when Inui took his brief pause to wrap another blanket around him. That sly, calculating data master…

"You're overreacting, Sadaharu! Enough of this nonsense!" He began to disentangle himself from the blankets, but Inui kept putting them back on. "Gah!"

Yukimura watched it all with amusement, not interrupting the couple because he thought it was a private matter between them (and also because it was interesting to watch). He took pity on his friend after a while and patted Inui on the shoulder.

"Inui, Renji's right. You are being too worried. He's fine. He's strong enough to withstand a simple cold, or do you have so little faith in him?"

Inui paused momentarily. "According to my calculations…"

"Besides…" Yukimura cut him off smoothly. "Wouldn't it be even worse for Renji and the baby if he's under stress? You're making him stressed out if you fuss over him like that."

Inui stopped midway in his calculations. "That…that makes sense." He deflated unhappily.

"Right?" Yukimura smiled and took Yanagi's hand. "Now then, it should be fine for him to meet the others. He needs some fresh air."

Inui nodded almost obediently. Yukimura took that as a grudging affirmative reply and led Yanagi to the living room. Yanagi had only walked a few steps when Inui stopped him with a hand.

"At least wear a jacket." He told his spouse. The brunette obeyed, just so that Inui would stop fussing over him. Before he could start walking, the black-haired man stopped him. Again.

"Also, let me carry you to the living room."

XXXXXX

"Ah, Yanagi. You're looking well." Sanada greeted him the minute he stepped into the living room.

Yanagi didn't know if he did. At seven months, his stomach had certainly seen better days, as it protruded to the point that he couldn't see his feet. He lowered himself carefully onto the couch, while Yukimura sat between him and Sanada.

Inui had been following them while massaging his neck subconsciously. After he had made the offer to carry his spouse, the brunette repaid his kindness by promptly choking him. His unborn child and his children would have become orphans had Yukimura not managed to stop the brunette. Renji and his mood swings could be so scary sometimes.

He cast a look at the others. Sanada and Yukimura looked well, even as they struck a conversation with Inui's daughter. Tezuka looked well too. The former Seigaku captain was now trying to help his black-green haired spouse pry Satoru's fingers from his shirt. Echizen looked a little pale, almost sickly. Inui believed it must be because of the current flu season. Nope, it was definitely not because of the Inui Juice on the table next to him. Inui would not be held responsible.

He cast a glance at the tray of Inui's Special Gingerbread Cookies. He counted 20 when he first served the cookies on the tray. He still counted 20 now. His friends were so cruel to not appreciate his efforts into making the delicacies. He had even followed the instructions of a cookbook…with some of his own special recipe too.

"Well then, minna. Did you try out my Inui's Special Fruit-bearing Juice?" He asked eagerly.

Yanagi winced. He still wished that his husband would have the name changed. It just sounded so wrong. Was he a tree that what he was bearing was 'fruit'?

Sanada gave him a dead stare. "I threw it away." As usual. Inui wasn't too surprised that the drinks he gave the Tezuka and Sanada families during Christmas had been quickly disposed of. He severely doubted either of them would let their spouses drink it, and them drinking it was out of the question. He knew Sanada would throw the whole package away before Yukimura saw it and got any funny ideas, while Tezuka was too polite to throw it away immediately. He'd just chuck it in the fridge and forget about it until it had to be disposed of because it had exceeded the expiry date.

"That was very inappropriate of you, Genichirou." Yukimura scolded lightly. He hadn't had the chance to get his hands on the drink so far.

Inui left the couple to sort it out amongst themselves. He next turned to Tezuka, who was pouring a cup of tea for Echizen. "Well? What about you, Tezuka?"

"I left it in the fridge." Tezuka stated flatly. As usual.

"It's not there anymore." Echizen cut in. He sipped on his tea lightly, made a face, then set it down on the table again.

The bespectacled brunette threw him a glance. "You threw it away?"

"No." Echizen raised his head, staring right at his husband with a slightly mischievous twinkle in the eye. "I drank it."

There was a moment's pause. "You what?" Tezuka, Sanada and Inui exclaimed at the same time. Yukimura didn't give so extreme a reaction. He just gave a surprised "Oh my…"

"When? You…was that why I found you unconscious in front of the fridge some time back? The effects were too much for you?" Tezuka asked.

"No. The taste was." Echizen made a face. "I don't think I'm going to dare to drink it again. I think half my tastebuds died with it."

Tezuka fidgeted slightly. "So…you're…"

"I don't know. I didn't really dare to check." Echizen replied sheepishly.

Yanagi gave a sage nod. "Indeed. It's very awkward for us guys to walk right into a pharmacy and buy a home pregnancy kit. That's why I always made Sadaharu do the dirty job." He threw Inui a playful grin. Rising to his feet again, he held out a hand to Echizen. "Come. Let's head to the back. I recall I do have a spare. It's best to put Tezuka out of his anxiety."

Echizen nodded quietly, following Yanagi as instructed. The others remained silent, not being able to think of any topic for conversation with their minds so preoccupied already. All of them waited. Inui was interested in knowing if his juice worked for others. Tezuka was obviously either nervous or anxious, with his fingers clenching and unclenching. Sanada was curious, while Yukimura was amused…and a little envious.

After quite some time, the two reappeared from the back. Yanagi's face was passive. Echizen's face was blank. Neither of them showed any indications of whether the results were positive or negative, and the minute Echizen sat down again, Tezuka turned to him, his eyes showing his anxiety.

"Well?"

Echizen gave him another blank stare. "Well…" There was a long pause. "You're going to be a father." He smiled. The rest averted their gaze from the couple immediately, as Tezuka had a put on a rather disturbing grin on his face, and they wished to preserve their sanity as best as possible.

Yanagi smiled at the two. "Congratulations. May the both of you be as happy as Sadaharu and I are."

Tezuka seemed to have sobered, as his stoic face returned. "Thank you."

"The Inui Juice is working better than I thought." Inui muttered to himself happily, scribbling into his notebook even as the others celebrated the good news alongside Yuina's birthday.

"Indeed. Who would have thought that an accident would become something so useful?" Yanagi lowered himself down next to his husband. "If you hadn't given me that parting gift, none of this would have happened."

Inui adjusted his glasses slightly. "Mm. It might have been quite a ride, but at the end of it, it was…"

"So worth it, was what you wanted to say right?" Yanagi patted his stomach. "I couldn't agree more, Sadaharu."

He lowered his gaze to his stomach, cradling it slightly in his arms. Nope. He had no regrets at all when he promised to be Inui's doubles partner, both on the courts and in life. Not at all.

**End of Extra Chapter**

A/N: I may or may not put up Yuina's sidestory, depending on whether I can finish it.

Hope you liked the chapter.

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please**

-Gwyn86


	20. Extra Chapter: Yuina's Sidestory

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg**

**Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen**

**Data Tales**

By: Gwynhafra86

Yuina's Sidestory

Yuina watched as her younger brother started beating at the door, crying and wanting to be let into the room, where their parents were. Not too long earlier, the siblings were startled when their pregnant dad suddenly gave a soft gasp and dropped the bowl he was holding, as he held a table for support with one hand, the other hand holding his swollen stomach.

Yuina recovered quickly, having seen this once, but Satoru was scared half to death. He ran over to cling to Yanagi's legs, trying to somehow make the pain go away. Their dad gave a weak smile, stroking Satoru's hair lightly as he tried to soothe him, though it was obvious that he was still in pain. Their father acted swiftly, calling up the doctor and leading their dad to their bedroom, while giving hurried instructions to Yuina to calm her brother.

Needless to say, she was not successful, hence the current scenario. No matter how she tried to coax her little brother, he remained frightened, wanting to be calmed only by their parents. As a last resort, she wrapped her arms around her little brother, hugging him and rocking him gently. The toddler mellowed a little, but remained crying in her arms.

As Yuina continued to coax her brother, she glanced at the door. Soon, they would be having a new sibling. Time passed so quickly, and the family continued to grow. It was so different from when she was younger. Back then, her family wasn't so big. It was just the three of them, depending on each other, supporting each other.

XXX

Yuina could still remember her younger days with a touch of fondness. Her firm, yet gentle daddy, and her silly, loving otou-san. They were a close-knitted family, and they were happy.

She did not remember much of when she was younger, as there was no way anyone could remember what it was like before 3 years old anyway, but the first people she opened her eyes to (if she opened her eyes to) every morning were her parents, and when she took her first steps, they were the ones encouraging her with open arms. At least that was what she heard from her dad.

Her world revolved around her otou-san and her daddy, and she revolved around their world too.

Yuina had rarely been out of the house all her life. Her parents had taken her on walks occasionally, but for some reason, they preferred to keep her indoors. Not that she actually minded. They kept her company, so that was good enough.

Speaking of which, she hardly got to see her otou-san, who could only be home once in a while. He'd come home on Saturdays and Sundays, and if the family was lucky, he'd stay for the night. Otherwise, he'd probably leave the following day. He might drop by on other days too, if he could, but that was rare.

Yuina didn't know of what her otou-san did when he was out, but she did wonder why he couldn't stay with them all the time. Her daddy could anyway, and when he left her home alone with her nanny, it was only because he had to go to this evil daddy-snatching place called 'school'. Maybe that place took her otou-san away from her too?

Whenever she tried to ask her daddy about her otou-san's disappearing acts, Yanagi always had this weak smile on his face as he tried to explain to her. "Your otou-san has to work, for us. He's a busy person, having to work, to go to school, and…you'll understand when you get older, Yuina." Her daddy would stroke her hair as he spoke.

Of course, she did not understand until much later that she was the cause of her otou-san having to work so hard to support her and her daddy, and she was also the reason why her daddy cooped himself at home, so that he could take care of her when he could very well be running off joining his friends. Her age allowed her to remain oblivious, and to remain happy.

"Otou-otou!" She chirped, running over to hug her father's legs when he entered the door that day.

Inui looked tired, but his face lit up at the sight of her. He scooped her up into his arms, hugging her tightly. "My princess, it's been such a long time. I missed you."

"You only saw her yesterday, Sadaharu." Yanagi walked up to the door too, looking amused. Inui gave him a quick kiss in greeting before releasing him, chuckling as Yuina watched them curiously. He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Well then, let's see what your daddy made for dinner."

"Sushi. I helped." She beamed happily. Inui took a look at the plate and recognized the squashed ones as the ones Yuina must have 'made'. His lips twitched slightly, but otherwise he made no comment. He ate those sushi before smiling at her. "It's delicious. Thank you, princess." He complimented, causing her to beam brightly.

Her otou-san played with her a while before he looked up when Yanagi brought him a stack of notes. "Here. I made these when you were away. With the exams around the corner, I think they might be useful."

Inui nodded. "Thank you, Renji." He set his daughter down. "I'm afraid your daddy and I have to deal with some work. Go play with your toys, Yuina."

Yuina pouted, but obeyed all the same. If it was one more thing she didn't like of this 'school', it was that it always made her parents too busy to play with her. She was left to her own devices while her parents rushed through assignments, discussed homework and revised for their exams.

Feeling bored, Yuina walked over to Yanagi. "Daddy?"

The brunette looked over at his daughter. "Not now, Yuina. I'm busy. I'll play with you later, okay?" With that, he turned his attention back to his books.

The later never came, as Yuina was left to play all alone. Occasionally, she cast a glance at her parents, who were busy with their work. At least they were talking to each other while they dealt with their homework. She had no one to talk to, except her dolls, but dolls did not talk back to her. Quietly, she went to her bed and after washing up like her parents taught her to, she curled up under the blankets and sniffled as quietly as she could.

Her parents loved her dearly, but they were always preoccupied by something or another. Of course, Yuina didn't understand grown-up business. She wondered why her otou-san's brow would crease as he read several pieces of papers, 'bills', as her daddy called them. "Don't worry, Renji. I can deal with this. I do have my allowance for the month too. It's enough." She caught parts of their conversation that night.

Yanagi stroked her otou-san's hair lightly. "I'll share the burden of paying the bills, Sadaharu. You don't have to take all of these upon yourself. We're in this together, remember?"

"Mm. I do not wish to keep relying on Atobe for financial help. This is something I wish to deal with alone." Inui stated firmly.

Yanagi shook his head. "Wrong, Sadaharu. This is something _we_ will deal with. Don't count me out of this."

Inui nodded tiredly. He set the bills on the bedside table next to him. "Very well then. I'm tired, Renji. Good night." Her otou-san was asleep in her daddy's arms in moments.

Yuina had wanted to join them, but seeing them together, she felt like a third wheel and turned to leave.

"Yuina?" Her daddy's voice stopped her. He must have heard her footsteps. She walked back and poked her head into the room. Yanagi smiled at her warmly. "What do you think you're doing standing over there? Come here." He pulled the blankets up, patting his side wordlessly.

Yuina walked over meekly. Her daddy reached over and lifted her up easily before setting her down next to him and tucking her under the covers, wrapping his other arm around her. "I'm sorry, Yuina. I wasn't able to spend much time with you these few days. Your otou-san too. We're really busy now, but we can spend more time together once all these are over. Please be patient with us, ne?"

Yuina nodded wordlessly, snuggling closer to her daddy's warmth. Her otou-san mumbled both her and her daddy's name in his sleep before he began to snore softly.

XXX

Her nanny accompanied her more often than her parents did when they reached their final year, as they had to buck up for the major examinations. Yuina pouted as Inui once more turned down the offer to play with her. She sat in one of the corners, watching her parents busy themselves with their revisions.

At some point, Inui looked up and noticed the bored look on her young face. He took her to the back and gave her some milk and cookies (store-bought ones, of course. For some reason her daddy forbade him to make home-made cookies) before taking out his notebook, giving it to her.

"Remember, Yuina. A real data master should never reveal their data to anyone else, not even their closest friends. A data master's notebook is their hidden weapon, and even your daddy has not seen my notebook, and I his. However, I am passing this to you for safekeeping since you're my little princess. Read it then," he smiled down at her.

Yuina's eyes shone with delight. "Hai, otou-san!" she chirped, not feeling so bored anymore.

Coincidentally, her daddy did the same thing half a day later, though of course, Yuina didn't tell either of them that. She poured through the notebooks happily, treating them like new storybooks and reading through them as diligently as her parents did their textbooks.

Thinking back, that was the starting point for her as she ventured into the world of data. She taught herself to read from those books (guided by her parents when they finally had free time to teach her), and she taught herself to take notes, though at that point, she was writing more diaries than data. Her parents were still too busy to be with her, but at least she found a new way to entertain herself.

It finally came to the day when her parents were done with their finals, and Yuina was glad for it. It meant that they could finally spend more time with her. She could remember the day the results were posted, for her otou-san had promptly lifted her into the air and started dancing around the living room with her, while being watched and filmed by her incredibly amused daddy. They definitely did well, if that whole scene were any indication.

Sadly, just a few days after that, her parents had to return to the evil daddy-snatching place again, for something called a graduation ceremony. Yuina was left alone with her nanny while her parents dressed well and made themselves presentable in their room before heading out the door, instructing for her to be a good girl at home before doing so.

They left the house, and a short one hour later, Yuina was bored. She didn't understand why they wouldn't let her follow them to the daddy-snatching place, when it obviously took up so much of their time. Her nanny bustled about the house, cleaning up the place and paying little attention to her. Making up her mind, Yuina got to her feet and took her bunny plushie before going to the door, dutifully putting on her shoes like her parents taught her to. She succeeded after some time and stood in front of the door, looking up at the handle. Heh, like this was a problem for her data. She carefully rearranged some building blocks, took the key and mimicked what she had observed her father and her daddy did. A soft click could be heard and the door swung open. The brunette girl happily leapt off the blocks and ran outside. Mission accomplished.

She followed the path she was most familiar with, the one which led to the park. Her parents brought her out on a number of occasions, and even though it wasn't much, she could roughly trace her way to the park, then try to look for this 'school' from there.

Reaching the park, she looked around for clues as to where her parents might be. Racking through her mind, she tried to remember the name of that daddy-snatching place, but for the life of her, the name just refused to come to her mind. It wasn't her fault. The name was just too big a mouthful.

Two girls dressed in yellow walked past her, making her eyes light up with hope. She remembered now…her otou-san and her daddy always put on this yellow outfit before heading out. If she followed them, she'd probably be able to find the place. Walking quickly, the little brunette girl trailed behind the two nee-san.

Soon, she came to a part of town which looked very unfamiliar. All around her, houses towered at two, three storeys. Even though she lived in a double storey house all her life, these houses looked bigger than hers. She quickened her pace so that she'd stay close to the two.

They reached a crossroads, and, to Yuina's horror, the two went in completely different directions. That couldn't be right. Surely there was only one daddy-snatching place and not two. Who should she follow?

She chose one of the girls at random, thinking that her outfit looked very similar to her daddies'. Just as she crossed the road, there was a very loud honk and a screech of tyres. Yuina turned around just in time to see a car heading her direction. "Otou-san!" She cried for Inui even as she covered her head.

The car stopped inches from her. The driver was pretty nasty, as he rolled down the windows and started spitting out words Inui and Yanagi severely forbade her from saying, or even understanding. Frightened, the little girl began to cry.

A few good Samaritans came over to take her hand and lead her to the side, letting the car pass. A couple of teenagers came over to check if she was all right.

"Ne, little girl. What is your name? Are you lost?" One kind faced girl asked, even as she patted Yuina on the head to calm her down.

Yuina looked up, her emerald eyes opening slightly. "Yuina," she replied meekly.

"My…she looks a little like Yanagi-senpai," one of the girls whispered excitedly.

"Maybe she's his sister." The other girl held her hand. "Come with us. I'll take you to meet your onii-chan."

"Onii-chan?" Yuina repeated, confused. What was that? Did she have such a thing?

She followed anyway; wondering if that was the right thing to do as she walked. Daddy warned her never to talk to strangers, but she didn't know how else to find her parents.

They entered a place so many times bigger than her house. One of the girls told her this was Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, a school. Yuina's half closed eyes narrowed slightly as she realized that this was the daddy-snatching place she heard so much about. Her parents must be trapped here!

The graduation ceremony was over, actually, and the new graduates exited the hall not too long ago. All graduates had a flower pinned to their clothes, and Yuina's eyes lit up at the sight of her daddy readjusting the flower on her otou-san's clothes.

"Daddy!" She ran over to Yanagi and threw her arms around his legs.

Everyone went quiet. Yuina was too young to understand back then the implications of her actions, as she clung tightly to her daddy, not wanting to be separated from him again. Both Yanagi and Inui were more than surprised to see her there.

"Yuina? What are you doing here? How did you come here? Why did you leave the house?" Yanagi's voice made the little girl look up a little fearfully. Was her daddy angry?

Yanagi gave a sigh and picked her up. It was only then he realized that his schoolmates were whispering and pointing at him. Considering how much Yuina looked like him, things were going to be bad if he didn't do something soon. What should he do…?

"My, Renji. Your cute little cousin just couldn't bear to part from you. She's even playing house here." Inui spoke up to clear the awkwardness of the situation. Yuina looked at him in confusion. What was her otou-otou saying? Cousin? She was their daughter!

"Ah yes. Yuina, we'll continue this at home. Not now." Renji gave her a look which clearly asked her to remain silent.

She buried her face against his neck, feeling miserable. Yanagi rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, Yuina. I will explain this to you later. For now, be a good girl and keep close to otou-san and I. Okay?"

"Mm." She nodded obediently.

The rest of the day was spent watching her otou-san and her daddy talk and laugh with their friends. Yanagi didn't let her down at all, for which she was glad. A lot of squealing girls wanted to carry her, but Yuina was afraid of them. She buried her face against Yanagi's neck every time they tried, and they eventually got the hint and left her alone.

She thought her parents looked so happy, even as they chatted with their friends and hugged them, all to be separated once they left the building. Yanagi didn't put her down at all, seemingly sensing her unease with the strange place. She was more than happy once they left the daddy-snatching place. Inui took over the duty of carrying her in his arms, and Yanagi suggested a Chinese meal to celebrate, which she agreed full-heartedly to. She loved prawn dumplings.

Shortly after, her papa and daddy took her to a place she has never been to before. Her daddy reminded her to be on her best behaviour. Both of them seemed tense, and she too was a little frightened.

Surely enough, her first meeting with her grandparents wasn't one she cherished. Her grandmother was nothing like daddy (though apparently she was daddy's mommy…and what was a mommy anyway?). After a bout of tears, yells and arguments, they managed to come up with a compromise, and Yuina got her peaceful family back.

For a while, life was good. Her parents went for part-time classes in the same university, and they worked in Atobe-san's company. The nice, silver-haired man who popped by from time to time to give her lots of presents (Otou-san's boss, was what daddy said. For some reason her papa was a little afraid of him) was kind enough to let her parents work from home while she was still young, which was good since it gave them more time to spend with her.

Shortly after, her parents were married, and not too long after that, her daddy fell sick. She didn't know why otou-san seemed so calm about daddy throwing up every morning. Her otou-san advised her to always keep daddy happy and not stress him out, which she complied.

Her daddy began to put on weight, and lost it shortly after.

She remembered the day daddy was in a lot of pain. She cried, sensing her daddy's suffering despite his attempts to hide it from her. Sanada-san and Yukimura-san happened to be around that day, and they kept her company, at least until papa came out of the room, holding a bundle in his arms.

He beckoned his daughter over. Yukimura gently led Yuina over to Inui, and he knelt down, showing her the smallest person she has ever seen.

"Yuina. Meet Satoru, your baby brother. Say hello to Satoru."

Yuina blinked, wide-eyed. "Hello Satoru." She repeated obediently. Her brother gave no response as he continued to slumber.

Inui led her into the room, where a groggy Yanagi lay on the bed. He reached out for her, and she took his hand into her own smaller ones.

"Yuina, listen. You're a nee-san now. No matter what, you must protect and love your baby brother. All right?" He stroked her hair.

Both papa and daddy seemed so happy over her little baby brother. Their joy was infectious, and she too, couldn't wait to play with him when he woke up.

That excitement was short lived. She came to realize that her brother was nothing more than a parasite. Back then, when papa and daddy were busy, she had to play on her own. Now, all Satoru had to do was cry, and immediately they'd set down anything they were doing in favour of tending to his needs.

Her brother had her parents' full attention, and she was slowly being singled out. Inui once caught her looking forlornly at her daddy. He took her hand and led her aside to talk to her.

"Yuina…your brother is very young and weak now. He needs us to take care of him, especially daddy. Please be patient until he gets a little older." He told her.

She was young too, and could not really comprehend the true meaning of sharing yet. Her patience had a limit, and slowly, she too began ignoring her brother. Why did she have to bear with this, when her brother did not need to go through the same torture?

After returning from school every day, she would head over to the park until it got late. She had nothing better to do at home anyway. Her brother was noisy and demanding. Daddy was ignoring her, and Inui couldn't be home all the time either. She didn't need to tell papa or daddy as to where she was. It didn't matter to them anyway. Whenever she got home, if daddy wasn't tending to Satoru then he was sleeping. He slept a lot after Satoru came, it seemed.

She continued this for a while. This dragged on, and as she became estranged from her parents, her hours in the park increased. She began to think of building a tree house there, just so that she could stay away from the three.

Even when it rained, she stayed in the park, hiding in one of the play-tunnels. It usually didn't rain long, but that day, it became a whole downpour. She flinched when she heard thunder. She was never fond of that, not since she was a baby. She covered her ears when yet another rumble sounded.

"Yuina! You're still here?"

The brunette girl perked up at hearing daddy's voice. She crawled out a little to see Yanagi standing there with an umbrella in his grasp. He smiled at her. "Yuina…it's getting late. Come on. Let's go home." He held out a hand.

Yuina would have taken it, if she hadn't thought of her baby brother, who was at home too. She'd rather stay here. "No." She crawled back into the tunnel.

Yanagi knelt down, so that he was around her level. "Don't be stubborn, Yuina. It's not safe here in this rain. There is a lot of lightning today. Come, let's go home. Satoru's waiting for you too."

Yuina shuddered at the thought of more lightning, but her brother's name made her scowl. "Then I'll head home on my own!" She ran out of the tunnel and made her way home without her daddy. She had the key too anyway.

"Yuina!" She could hear daddy calling her, even as he ran after her, his footsteps making little sound on the wet grass.

A loud crack overhead made her look up, just in time to see a bolt of lightning strike one of the trees nearby. A rustle followed as one of the branches broke and fell. Yuina screamed in fright as she tried to avoid it fruitlessly.

Her daddy pushed her aside, covering her body with his. There was a thud, and when Yuina looked up, she noticed a trail of blood flowing from her daddy's forehead. She pulled herself to a sitting position and shook Yanagi, who didn't respond. "Daddy…daddy…wake up! Daddy!" Yanagi was not one who opened his eyes often, and now, his eyelids wouldn't even make the slightest flutter. Yuina held on to his motionless form and screamed for her otou-san on the top of her young lungs. The rain continued to fall around her, drowning her voice.

XXXXXXXXX

"Sadaharu…you're overreacting…"

Yuina sat outside the hospital ward, listening to her father and dad's conversation inside. The door was ajar, and from the crack of the door, she could see her father sitting by her daddy's bedside, clinging tightly to his hands.

Inui looked completely serious, unlike the dorky, silly person Yuina normally saw at home. "This is the second time you've given me a scare of this level. If I hadn't been on my way home at that time, and if I hadn't heard Yuina's screaming, there is a 69.3 percent chance I would have found you too late. I cannot estimate any data of what I'll do if anything happens to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Hakase. That branch was not that large. It just happened to fall on my head. I have just cut my forehead a little." The brunette reached out and stroked his husband's head soothingly.

"It looked large to me, Kyouju." Inui insisted. His eyes moved to Yanagi's head, which was bandaged.

Yanagi chuckled. "Well, I'm fine. Where is Yuina?"

At her name being called, the girl tried to sneak away, though her otou-san was faster as he headed to the door and opened it. Yuina froze there, feeling caught. Her otou-san was not smiling for once, which was rare since he normally grinned at the sight of her. He walked over and solemnly led her by the hand to Yanagi's bedside.

Yanagi's gaze softened. "Yuina…it's good that you're unhurt."

Yuina was shaking. When Yanagi reached out and touched her hand, she burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, daddy…"

Yanagi patted her hand. "I wasn't able to be with you often these couple of months. I have caused you a lot of resentment. I'm sorry too, Yuina."

Yuina shook her head. It wasn't exactly daddy's fault. She'd gladly be neglected if it could prevent her daddy from getting injured like that again.

"Yuina." Inui's voice made her flinch. She looked up at her father, who remained serious. After a while, he finally smiled. "We're not blaming you, princess, as long as you've learnt. It's not easy carrying out your responsibilities, and sometimes you have to make some sacrifices, but that's what growing up is. We need you to do what you can to support the family, and your brother too. Can you do that for us?" He asked.

Yuina nodded. Inui ruffled her hair and turned to exchange glances with Yanagi, who smiled. "I'll head home first then. Rest well, Renji, and I'll pick you up tomorrow to take you home. Leave Satoru to Yuina and me."

Yanagi nodded. Yuina leaned over and gave Yanagi a kiss on the cheek before she turned away, following her father home.

It was a quiet home they returned to that day. Yukimura-san, who was called over to take care of Satoru, greeted them. Nearby, Sanada was busy preparing a bottle for the baby.

"Inui-san, welcome back. How is Renji?" Yukimura asked, even as he passed Satoru over to the bespectacled man.

Inui bounced his son lightly in his arms, even as he turned to Yanagi's two best friends. "He's fine. It wasn't as serious as it looked, and I'll be bringing him home in 18 hours, 34 minutes and 12 seconds."

Yukimura looked relieved. "That's good to hear. We'll leave for now then. Do inform us of any updates. Take care Inui-san, Yuina-chan."

Sanada passed the bottle to Yuina. "You'll have to take care of your baby brother now. Don't slack off."

Once the Sanada family left, Inui took Satoru to his cot and placed him there, even as he made sure the child was comfortable. He then went to make himself a glass of Inui Juice to calm himself down.

Yuina threw a glance in the nursery's direction awkwardly, then back at Inui. Her father wasn't showing it much on his face, but it was obvious that he was still affected by Yanagi having to be hospitalized. She didn't like seeing her father being this gloomy. Making up her mind, she approached Inui.

"Otou-san."

Inui looked up from his cup. "Hmm? What is it, princess?" He was still using her nickname, a sign that he wasn't actually angry with her. If he were, he'd call her by name.

She opened her eyes, knowing the effect those green orbs had on her father. "I'll take care of Satoru. Please get some rest, otou-san."

Inui raised an eyebrow. "Really now. Can you manage?" The tone of his voice indicated that there was around a 40 percent chance that he doubted it.

She nodded. "I will. Please rest well, otou-san. You'll have a long day tomorrow, won't you?"

"If you say so…" Inui allowed his daughter to steer him to the bedroom before shoving him inside and closing the door behind him. Once she was sure that her father left everything to her, she headed to the nursery, going to her brother. He was sound asleep, so this was going to be a lot easier than she thought. It was late, so she could just go to sleep first, and when she woke up, she could give him a bottle.

She had barely walked up the stairs to her room when she heard her brother cry. Not wanting her father's rest to be interrupted, she quickly headed downstairs again and went to take her brother in her arms.

"All right…I can do this…let's see…" She took the bottle and inserted the teat into her brother's mouth. For some reason, he kept moving about, and the teat kept slipping out even as he continued to cry. Giving a frustrated sigh, she sat on one of the chairs and adjusted her hold on the bottle, even as she tilted it at different angles, at least until her brother finally latched on firmly and started suckling.

She memorized that angle, now fully understanding why her parents were so crazy over data. Her data collecting skills were nowhere near her parents' level, but at least she roughly had an idea of how to hold the bottle now. She waited patiently, wondering why it was taking her brother so long to finish a tiny little bottle like that.

After half an hour, her brother finally dropped off to sleep, and she placed him back into the cot, putting the blanket around him like she had seen Yanagi done once before. She hoped she did it right. Looking up at the clock, she realized that it was getting late, and decided to head off to revise a little before going to bed.

She read through her textbooks for about 2 hours, and when her eyes finally began protesting, she switched off the lights and lay down, intending to sleep.

That was when the choir began again, coming again from the direction of the nursery.

"Again? He just ate!" She got up and headed downstairs, checking to see what her brother wanted this time.

He seemed to be hungry again, and Yuina realized that she had to prepare a bottle first. There was one conveniently sitting on the kitchen counter when she went to look for it, and Yuina mused that Sanada-san might have made a spare. It was still warm though, oddly.

She fed him with little difficulty this time, since she knew how to hold the bottle now. He latched on for a good 34 minutes before he finally let go, but he continued crying after that.

"Now what?" She ran through her memories of her dad taking care of her brother quickly. Maybe he needed a change.

Taking him back to the nursery, she braced herself and opened his diapers…and gagged.

Oh good grief…how could anyone stand doing this? She ran off to look for a fresh one. Finding it, she tried her best to wipe him clean before wrapping him up in the new one. It didn't quite seem to turn out the way it looked had daddy been the one doing it, but it would do for now. Once she was done with that, she discarded the dirty diaper and went to thoroughly wash her hands. When she returned, her brother was fed and clean…and still crying.

"Now what?" She wondered aloud. Daddy made this look easy. It didn't seem to be the case. She picked him up and rocked him, to no avail.

"Need help, princess?" Her father's amused voice came from the doorway. Inui stood there with his arms folded, and a small grin plastered on his face.

"No. Go back to sleep, otou-san." She commanded.

Inui shrugged. "As you command then, princess. You could do with rocking him side by side instead of bouncing him up and down like that though. Also, don't do it too fast." With that, he headed back to his room.

She tried what her father said, and about 10 minutes later, the critter finally dropped off to sleep. She tried to do the same, though it felt like she barely rested for three hours when the crying started again.

XXXXXX

Inui walked out of the room to see his daughter nodding away next to her brother's cot. The girl gave up on going back to her own bedroom, since she would only have to run down again sooner or later anyway. He chuckled to himself, wondering if she'd survive school that day.

"Good morning, otou-san." She greeted sleepily when she heard him enter the nursery.

Inui ruffled her hair. "I made breakfast. Don't worry, it's just cornflakes and milk. I assure you I didn't add any of my creations into it. You better get ready for school."

She nodded. Now she understood why daddy was always preoccupied with the youngest in the family. Brat was a handful to manage.

Inui took a look at his sleeping son and chuckled at Yuina's attempts to take care of her baby brother. He'd have to redo those diapers once she's left for school.

"Don't worry. Your daddy will be home with us soon. I'll pick him up in the afternoon. Let's eat out after that." Inui told her.

Yuina nodded sleepily, even as she went upstairs to wash up. Inui watched his daughter, knowing that the girl was going to be a lot more mature after this experience.

True to his words, Yanagi was home by the time Yuina returned from school, and she watched as her daddy sang softly to her brother to coax him to sleep. It was a wonder how he didn't get tired of doing this for so many months. She experienced what mothering was like for only one night, and she was already exhausted.

"You're really good at this, daddy." She said a little enviously.

Yanagi beckoned to her and made her sit down next to him. "Yuina…when you were born, you were just as small and fragile. Your father and I didn't know how best to handle you, but we supported each other and learnt from mistakes. We did manage to raise you into a beautiful little girl, and for that we are proud." He stroked her hair. "It's your turn to help us support him too. Have you learnt something from this experience?"

At Yuina's nod, Yanagi put a hand to her heart. "Good. Don't ever forget it."

"I won't, daddy. I'll watch over Satoru too from now onwards." Yuina promised.

Right at that moment, Satoru reached out with his tiny hands, and Yuina touched the flailing limbs lightly. Her brother wrapped his whole fist around one of her fingers. The baby's mouth twitched, and finally formed into a smile.

Both Yanagi and Yuina's eyes opened at that. "Oh. He finally learnt to smile, and it seems that the first one he smiled at is you."

Yuina nodded, smiling back. She'd protect her little brother. She'd protect his smile too.

XXXXXXXXX

A cry made Satoru wake up in his older sister's hold. Yuina blinked, wondering if her daddy was all right.

"Nee-chan…want daddy." Satoru whined pitifully, gesturing to the room door as he did so.

Yuina shook her head. "Not yet, Satoru. Otou-san will inform us if daddy is all right."

After around 20 minutes, their father exited the room with a huge grin on his face and a moving bundle in his arms.

"Yuina, Satoru. Come meet your new baby brother." Inui told them.

Yuina led her younger brother over, and the toddler peeked at the sleeping face. "He's…he's so small." He said shyly, even as he clung to his sister.

"He looks like a little monkey." Yuina mused aloud.

Inui chuckled. His daughter was terribly frank at times, but she meant no harm. He turned to his middle child. "Satoru. You're an older brother now, and he will call you nii-san when he grows older. You'll have to wait a little while longer before you can play with him."

"I'm a nii-san!" Satoru repeated happily.

Yuina averted her gaze from the baby and looked into the room. "Can we see daddy now?" She asked. She wanted to know if he was all right.

Inui nodded and walked into the room. Yuina led her brother in by the hand. At the sight of Yanagi, the toddler went running at him.

"Daddy!" He attempted to hop onto the bed.

"Don't jump!" Both Yuina and Inui yelped at the same time, stopping Satoru dead in his tracks from shock.

Yanagi looked a little groggy. He reached out and patted Satoru on the head. "It's okay, Satoru. You didn't do anything wrong. Daddy is just really tired, and daddy has to recover now. Just give me another 13 hours and 30 minutes to rest, okay?"

The boy nodded obediently, retreating to where his sister stood. Yanagi beckoned her to his bedside, and she went obligingly.

"I'm counting on you to watch over your brothers, Yuina. It'll be good training for you before you have children of your own in the future." He reached out and stroked her hair lightly.

Yuina threw a discreet glance at her father. "Nah. There is an 89 percent chance otou-san is going to prevent that from ever happening."

"Not if you're going to have a say in it. You've always been a little stubborn. I suppose you take that from your father." He glanced over at the new baby. "Our family is growing. You're the oldest now. No matter how old you get though, you'll always be our little princess. I'll have to depend on you to help me out again."

Yuina opened her eyes and briefly allowed her gaze to sweep across the room, at her family members and the newest addition to the family. It was completely different from how it was during her younger days, but this was not a family she disliked. Her eyes slid close again, and she nodded. "I suppose I can spare a few hours of my time." She replied calmly.

Yanagi smiled and kissed his firstborn. If it wasn't for her, he'd never have this life with Sadaharu now. Yuina, the one who binds the family. Always has, always will.

::End of Yuina's sidestory::

A/N: This will be the very last chapter of Data Tales. I'm not writing anymore extras after this. XD.

After reading New POT, I wonder if anyone else noticed the Data Pair hints in the manga.

Please check out New POT, chapter 13 (Encounter), pages 7-11 (especially pages 9 and 11). "Sadaharu, let's go home." XDXDXD

It's quite a treat for fellow Data Pair lovers, since hints for those two are hard to come by.

**Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.**

**-Gwyn86**


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